NN Online:
In Narayanganj, a city meant to be pedestrian-friendly, footpaths have become a daily source of frustration due to ongoing drain construction, rampant encroachment, and poor management.
What were once walkways for public convenience have now been overtaken by hawkers, illegally parked motorcycles, and long-stalled development work. The result: pedestrians are forced to navigate a hazardous, obstacle-strewn environment.
A visit to key city areas on Tuesday—spanning from Chashara to Gate No. 2 on Bangabandhu Road and Amlapara Mor to Gate No. 1 on Sirajuddowla Road—revealed a grim reality. On Bangabandhu Road, parts of the footpath have been torn apart for drainage work, with construction debris and garbage heaped along the road. Recent rainfall has worsened conditions, spreading waste, creating a pervasive stench, and causing waterlogging.
The few remaining sidewalk areas are blocked by makeshift vendor stalls or used as parking for motorcycles, leaving pedestrians with little choice but to walk dangerously close to fast-moving traffic.
Sirajuddowla Road paints a similar picture. Large ditches for drainage work have turned the stretch from Amlapara Mor to Kalirbazar into a mud-strewn path. Mounds of excavated soil block walkways, forcing people to balance precariously on bricks just to cross.
From Kalirbazar to Gate No. 1, the footpaths have been almost entirely overrun by vendors, commercial vehicles, and informal setups, eliminating any remaining pedestrian space.
Locals say this is not a new problem—it’s just getting worse.
“This has been going on for years,” said Roushan, a shopkeeper in the DIT area. “Sometimes the authorities run eviction drives, but they’re short-lived. Now, with the drain work, the sidewalks are broken, and the mess is worse than ever. You can’t walk two steps without stumbling on debris or waste. And no one knows when this will end. Governments change, but our sufferings remain the same.”
Businessman Ahsan shared similar frustrations:
“Even light rain leads to waterlogging. Just half an hour of rain and BB Road is knee-deep in water. I live in Pathantuli and pass through Khanpur and Kalirbazar every day. There’s no dry place to step during the rains. Kalirbazar turns into a swamp. They started this roadwork before Ramadan, and we suffered the whole month. Now it’s worse. I don’t know when they’ll finish it—if ever.”
Despite the worsening conditions, there appears to be little visible progress or a clear timeline for completion. In the meantime, Narayanganj’s pedestrians continue to pay the price.
