Land-related complications hinder development of Ghanshyam Bazar in Chakaria Municipality
B M Habib Ullah, Chakaria-Pekua (Cox’s Bazar)
A shortage of space has emerged surrounding the construction of a five-story building funded by JICA at the century-old Ghanshyam Bazar in Chakaria Municipality.
It is alleged that construction materials and machinery have been left scattered across the marketplace, disrupting daily operations and trade. Jasim Uddin, the leaseholder of the market, fears significant financial losses; he estimates that if the current situation persists, the losses could reach between 8 and 9 million BDT.
According to municipal sources, the contract for the construction of the five-story building at Ghanshyam Bazar was awarded to the Chittagong-based firm, M/S Kashem Construction.
The work order, signed by the Executive Engineer of Chakaria Municipality, Mujibur Rahman, was issued to the firm on March 29. Per the terms of the order, construction was supposed to commence within 10 days of its issuance; however, local sources claim that work did not begin on schedule. Nearly two months later, local contractors representing the firm began setting up construction sheds and storing materials and machinery within the market premises. Stakeholders complain that this has significantly reduced available space throughout the market. On-site observations confirm that construction materials and equipment are scattered across various locations, restricting the movement of buyers and sellers and shrinking the space available for commerce.
Locals note that the market’s normal environment has been disrupted, and there has been a noticeable decline in the number of buyers and sellers present. Meanwhile, Jasim Uddin—a resident of Shiapara in Islamabad Union, Eidgaon Upazila (Cox’s Bazar)—has secured the lease for Ghanshyam Bazar for the Bengali year 1433. He stated that he paid 15,060,600 BDT in government revenue to acquire the lease. Having invested such a substantial sum, he now faces significant financial uncertainty.
"I secured the lease for this market by paying the highest bid seen in the last few years," said Jasim Uddin. I had to borrow money to make the required payments. However, since I secured the lease, the available space for the market has shrunk due to ongoing development projects—including the construction of a multi-story market complex—funded by JICA.
This has disrupted the regular operations of the cattle, buffalo, and goat market. I am concerned that if these development activities continue in this manner, I will face significant financial losses—potentially amounting to 8–9 million BDT.
Consequently, I have requested the municipal authorities to conduct an on-site inspection to assess the actual extent of the losses and to provide fair compensation or some form of redress. According to local residents, Ghanshyam Bazar is not only a vital commercial hub for the Chakaria Municipality but also a primary destination for people from surrounding areas to trade livestock and other goods.
Traders and buyers from various parts of Chakaria, as well as from the neighboring upazilas of Lama, Alikadam, Pekua, Matamuhuri, and Maheshkhali, frequent this market. Therefore, any reduction in the market’s available space could negatively impact traders, buyers, sellers, and the leaseholder alike. Shamim Osman, president of the Ward 1 (Chakaria Municipality) unit of the BNP, along with Vice-President Zainal Abedin and other locals, emphasized that development work should be carried out with due regard for the significance of this century-old, traditional market. Prolonged disruption to the market’s normal operations could adversely affect local commerce; hence, it is essential to implement effective measures to ensure that movement and trade within the market remain uninterrupted during the construction process.
In this regard, Shahin Delwar, the Chakaria UNO and Administrator of the Municipality, said, the contractor responsible for the construction has been warned about the disorganized placement of construction materials.
The application submitted by leaseholder of Ghanshyam Bazar has been forwarded to the relevant ministry, and further action will be taken based on the ministry’s directives.
