Aminul Islam, Sakhipur (Tangail)
Locals are suffering a lot due to the unpaved road between Beltoli and Binnakhaira in Sakhipur, Tangail. The nearly three-kilometer-long, dilapidated dirt road is located in Barachona Union of the upazila. Hundreds of people, including students from schools, colleges, and madrasas, travel along this road every day. Even a little rain causes mud and water to form on the road, making it impassable. The locals are suffering because the road is not paved. On Wednesday (August 6) morning, it was observed that the three-kilometer “Beltoli – Binnakhaira via Barabari” road located in Barachona Union of the upazila has become almost unusable. With no alternative routes, everyone, including school and college students and the elderly, has to walk through knee-deep mud. They face immense hardships while traveling on this road, especially during the monsoon season. No ambulance, microbus, van or rickshaw can enter this road due to the mud. It is forbidden to travel barefoot, let alone on motorcycles or bicycles. On a rainy day, if someone in the village falls ill, no vehicles or ambulances can enter the village to take them to the hospital. Many times, when someone becomes seriously ill, they are carried on their shoulders across muddy roads. Farmers from several villages have to use this ancient road to bring their rice, bananas, jackfruit, lemons, and other agricultural products and seasonal vegetables to the Barachona and Qutubpur markets to sell them. Locals complain that despite repeated promises by public representatives, no initiative has been taken to pave the unpaved road. Locals have sought the intervention of the relevant authorities to pave the road. Local resident Kabir Hossain said, “We cannot go to the markets properly. We cannot sell agricultural products on time.” Our children struggle to get to school and college, especially on rainy and muddy days, wearing shoes and sandals. The area produces a lot of agricultural crops, but due to such roads, farmers cannot market their products on time, resulting in them being deprived of fair prices for their crops. Local UP member Ashraf Ali said that even a little rain can cause knee-deep mud in some areas. In addition, all the crops from the neighboring fields have to be taken home through this road. Agricultural products are marketed through this road. Abdul Gafur, headmaster of the local Binnakhaira-Yashihati Government Primary School, said that more than a hundred students travel to various educational institutions on this road every day, and they face great difficulty in moving. No emergency vehicles or any other vehicles can enter the village. When someone dies, the funeral, burial and shrouding are difficult due to the mourning. There is no system to quickly take a sick person to the hospital. Paving the road is now the need of the hour. Barachona Union Parishad Chairman Azharul Islam said, “The locals have been having to travel in pain for a long time because the road is not paved.” “The road needs to be paved to end the suffering and inconvenience. He requested the intervention of the concerned authorities to pave the road.” Upazila LGED Engineer Md. Arifur Rahman said that a proposal will be sent to higher authorities soon for the construction of the road. Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Abdullah Al Roni said that the Beltoli-Binnakhaira road is important. If a new road list is released this year, necessary measures will be taken to pave the road.