In the Kazirbond area of Borni Union under Barlekha Upazila, located along the Hakaluki Haor, a disaster risk–reduction–friendly connecting road (RCC) is being constructed.
Local residents believe that this road will significantly improve communication, education, agriculture, business, and the overall standard of living of the neglected and low-lying communities in the area.
Construction of the 1-kilometer-long road began on October 21. The project aims to be completed by January 20 of next year, and about 50 percent of the work has already been completed. Local people have expressed satisfaction with the quality of the construction work.
According to sources, under the Disaster Risk Reduction Project, the 1-kilometer-long disaster-resilient connecting road is being constructed from Kazirbond Government Primary School to Abdus Sattar Government Primary School Flood Shelter in Ward No. 5 of Borni Union. The project is being implemented by the Borni Union Disaster Management Committee at a cost of approximately Tk 20 million. With overall support from the Department of Disaster Management, the World Food Programme (WFP) is providing technical and financial assistance for the RCC road construction. The implementing partner organization is the Center for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS).
A visit to the site shows that CNRS site engineers and field-level representatives are closely supervising the work being carried out by the contractor’s workers. Local Ward Member Atikur Rahman and residents of Kazirbond village—Mujibur Rahman, Zayed Ahmed, Abdul Karim, Lulu Miah, Foyez Uddin, Faruk Uddin, Sona Uddin, among others—said that this road serves as a vital communication link for several thousand people from at least 20 villages in Barlekha, Golapganj, and Beanibazar upazilas. It is also the only means of transportation for people in the northeastern part of Hakaluki Haor.
This road along the haor remains submerged under floodwater for 5 to 6 months every year. For generations, people have suffered severe hardships traveling on muddy roads. Although earthwork was occasionally done with government funding, it was washed away by subsequent floods. Due to the poor condition of the road, children in the area are unable to attend school or madrasa for nearly half the year, leading to a high dropout rate.
As a result, people in the low-lying areas are gradually falling behind in agriculture, education, and communication. In such a situation, paving the road is expected to bring significant progress in various sectors. Along with ending long-standing suffering, the socioeconomic condition of the local people is expected to improve substantially. Residents said that since the road is being constructed at a considerable height, they hope it will not be submerged during normal floods. They also expressed satisfaction with the excellent quality of the work.
There are many other areas along the Hakaluki Haor where residents have long been neglected due to poor road infrastructure. If more roads are constructed through this initiative, the extremely poor communities will benefit greatly.
Khorshed Alam, Upazila Coordinator of CNRS, the implementing partner organization, said that the road construction under the risk reduction/mitigation scheme implemented by the Disaster Management Committee is being regularly monitored to ensure quality by the Upazila Supervision Committee, the World Food Programme, CNRS officials at various levels, and the local community.
Zainal Abedin, Chairman of Borni Union Parishad and President of the Union Disaster Management Committee, said that once the project is completed in this neglected area along the Hakaluki Haor, the overall scenario of the area will change. During floods, local people will be able to reach flood shelters easily. Transportation for students of two primary schools and two madrasas will become easier. The road will also play a significant role in harvesting haor crops and facilitating the movement of livestock.
In particular, 5,000 to 6,000 people in the area will benefit directly. The long-standing suffering of the people of this haor region will finally come to an end.
