Rafiqul Islam Biplob, Gazipur

Residents of Gazipur's Sreepur Upazila have demanded that the centenary-old road up to Sreepur-Gaziaran-Pelaid Nodirghat be constructed as soon as possible.

At least 7 villages of Gosinga and Barmi Union will benefit from this. Locals also said that if the development of the road is accelerated, it will play a significant role in the local economy.

Parvez, Hasan, Palash Mia of Ghajiaran village said that our forefathers used to travel through this road. We are also moving. The people of seven villages including Ghajiaran, Notun Patka, Pelaid, Panchultia, Tantisuta have traveled through unpaved roads through thousands of hardships.

Earlier, after the brick-paved road broke down, efforts were taken to repair it, but now it is running on rubble. An initiative was taken to carpet the road under the supervision of the local government and the engineering department. Even though renovation work has been done for more than two months, all kinds of work are currently stopped. There is concern, anxiety and anger among the people of seven villages.

Sajib Hasan, a college student of Pelaid village, said that during the monsoons, one has to travel with a bag on his shoulder and shoes in his hand. Part of the road is bricked and the rest is clay. Like me, at least 500 students from seven villages travel to educational institutions through such hardships.

Aminul Islam, a farmer of Pelaid village, said that all the farmers in our area have problems in taking their produce to the market. Even in this era, even from very close to the upazila city, one has to travel to the upazila headquarters by crossing the mud road. If this situation does not pass, we will be hindered from coming together with the overall development desired by the government.

According to the local government and engineering department, tenders were invited for the development of the road up to Sreepur-Gaziyaran-Pelaid river ghats. Work orders have been given by appointing contractors as usual. 9 culverts have already been installed on the road.

Local people said that the forest department is obstructing the development of the road. They claim that the development will be hindered where the communication system is not working, they say, the prerequisite of all development is the development of the communication system. We are saddened by the obstruction of the local forest department in the development of the centenary road. We approached the upazila-level government policy-making body. If necessary, we will inform the countrymen about our suffering by building a human wall.

According to the local forest department, the road is being built on the land of the forest department. So forest department has objection.

Sreepur Upazila Parishad Chairman Advocate Md. Shamsul Alam Prodhan, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shobhan Rangsa told The Country Today that a complaint has been received from the residents regarding the traffic problems and renovation works. Necessary action will be taken after investigation in this regard.