As work on the eight and a half kilometer road built at a cost of several crores of taka in Bhurungamari, Kurigram, is nearing completion, stones and asphalt are being poured by hands in stead  of machines. 

 

In this, allegations have been made against the subcontractor, Md. Belal Hossain, for constructing the road using low-quality materials. 

It is learned that the Local Government Engineering Department took the initiative to repair the eight and a half kilometer road from Bhurungamari bus stand to Dhaldanga Ghatpar at a cost of 177.755 million taka.Of this, about 1,600 meters of the road from the bus stand will be RCC poured and the remaining road will be carpeted. The Local Government Engineering Department is implementing the work with financial assistance from the government's development partner, the Asian Development Bank (ADB).The work was awarded to a Kurigram-based contracting company named "RAB-RC-BC-HT JV". The duration of the work was from January 5, 2024 to June 30, 2025. Later, the work was sold to a person named Md. Belal Hossain.On the spot, it was found that the road repair work from Bhurungamari bus stand to Dhaldanga Shaljor Ghatpar is about 85 percent complete. However, the locals complain that the road is being built with low-quality materials. In some places, pitch has been poured over dirt. The pitch of the road is rising before the road repair work is completed. The pitch is also getting on the feet of pedestrians walking on the road. Again, the marks of vehicle wheels are getting on the road. Even the carpeting is coming off when you rub it with your feet. The locals complain that this situation has been created due to the unplanned carpeting of low quality and low thickness.Locals complain that thousands of small and large vehicles ply the road every day. However, the thickness of the road carpeting and the amount of bitumen used in pouring the pitch were less. In addition, instead of cleaning the road with a compressor machine, the pitch was poured on top of the dust and dirt. Low-quality bricks were used. When pictures and videos of poor-quality work and pitch being lifted by hand went viral on social media, locals stopped the road work.In this regard, the person who took the work on the subcontract, Md. Belal Hossain, said, "The work is ongoing. The pitch has been lifted due to the bitumen not hardening due to the use of motorcycles. It has been fixed later."Upazila Engineer Inchaful Haque Sarkar said that no irregularities were found in the work. Cracks appeared in several places due to soil and other reasons on the road. The contracting company has been asked to fix them.