The Satkhira-Shyamnagar highway has not been developed for more than a decade. As a result, this long road was being built with minimal patching and puttying. As a result, about 1.5 million people in four upazilas are suffering due to the poor condition of this road. Meanwhile, there is hope of ending the long suffering as the road development work has started. But it is going on very slowly.

According to the information of the Satkhira Road and Township Department, about 565 crore taka has been allocated for this large road renovation and expansion project with a total length of 62.325 kilometers. In which the road will be expanded from Laboni Mor to Bankal Check Post, from Bankal Check Post to Parulia Gorur Hat, from Parulia to Hadipur, from Nalta to Hadipur to Kaliganj Fultala, from Kaliganj Fultala to Shyamnagar Mohsin College, from Shyamnagar Mohsin College to Bhetkhali. The project work order states that the work must be completed by June 30, 2026. Although the total duration of the project is five years, three years have already passed.

Despite the slogan ‘Attraction of Satkhira, Sundarbans on the road’, the Satkhira-Shyamnagar road is in a bad condition. This road was once passed by ECNEC during the previous government, but no further improvement has been made since then. As a result, large potholes have formed on the road. Especially due to rain, the potholes have become so large that the road has become completely unfit for movement. To maintain road connectivity with Shyamnagar, the country’s largest upazila, and the Sundarbans, the Roads and Highways Department has taken measures to pave the way by paving bricks at 16 places on the regional highway, including Satkhira Medical College, Alipur Bazar, Alipur Crematorium, and Kulia. Many say that paving bricks is being done on paved roads, which is very shameful.

Pedestrians Golam Sarwar, Ayub Hossain, Abdus Salam, and many others said that although the work on the Satkhira-Shyamnagar highway has started after a long time, the suffering has increased due to the slow pace. Due to the shortage of manpower of the contractors, it has become impossible to move on the road. The road is filled with dust due to digging the soil in some places. They also said that there will be no end to the suffering if the work is not completed soon.

Drivers Milon Hossain, Mostafizur Rahman, Hazrat Ali said that on one side the road is bad and on the other side there is a lot of digging. This is causing traffic jams during the day. We have to wait for a long time. Passengers and goods are facing problems in reaching the right time. If the contractor works with more manpower at night, then the suffering of the people will be reduced.

Meanwhile, Anwar Parvez, Executive Engineer of the Roads and Towns Department, assured that the suffering will be reduced and said that the work on the Satkhira-Shyamnagar highway has started. Although the current government has instructed to complete this renovation work by next June, it may take another year.