Soumitra Suman, Payra Port (Patuakhali) 

Serious allegations of irregularities have been alleged  regarding a canal excavation project in Kuakata, Patuakhali. According to project guidelines, both sides of the canal are to be raised and the soil secured after excavation. However, locals allege that this is not being followed in practice. Instead, excavated soil is being sold elsewhere by certain officials involved in the project and a local resident named Al-Amin from Fashipara.Local sources report that, as per regulations, both ends of the canal must be sufficiently widened for proper water flow, but this has not been done. Although the middle part of the canal has been excavated, the beginning and end remain narrow due to existing houses, obstructing water flow. Without removing these structures, proper drainage will be impossible and could worsen flooding, especially during the rainy season, residents fear.

Locals insist that canal excavation should begin from the front end. Excavating only the middle section will not help and may instead cause more harm to farmers.Mosharraf Hossain Molla of Fashipara stated, “Instead of starting from the canal’s front, they cut the middle, which is making things worse for farmers. It’s clear that this is being done for the benefit of those involved in the excavation, not for the locals. If it were truly for farmers, the work would have started from the front.”Multiple complaints point to a lack of proper supervision in maintaining the quality of the excavation. The project's purpose was to reduce waterlogging and support agriculture, but these irregularities are threatening to derail that goal. Locals warn that if the work continues like this, the project will fail to resolve the issue, and public money will be wasted.Residents have called on the concerned authorities to investigate and take immediate and effective measures. They demand strict monitoring and action against those responsible to ensure proper implementation.When asked about the matter, Md. Yakub Ali, Assistant Engineer of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Patuakhali said , this fiscal year, one kilometer of canal excavation has been allocated. The remaining portion will be completed in the next phase.”