Mirzapur’s Bhawra-Kamarpara road in dire straits

The Bhawra-Kamarpara road in Mirzapur has turned into a nightmare for commuters, with potholes, craters and broken asphalt making daily travel risky for thousands of people.

The nearly eight-kilometre road, maintained by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), serves as a vital communication link for residents of Bhawra, Bahuria and Warshi unions in Mirzapur, as well as people from neighbouring Dhamrai and Saturia upazilas.

However, the road has deteriorated so badly that even walking along it has become difficult. Bricks, asphalt and stone chips have disappeared from large sections, leaving deep potholes across the road. Continuous rainfall during the current monsoon has further worsened the situation.

Md Farhad Hossain, a schoolteacher from Kamarpara who regularly uses the road, said hundreds of thousands of people depend on it for their daily commute.

“We have to travel along this road despite the suffering. We have repeatedly informed the local chairman, UNO and upazila engineer about the condition of the road, but no repair initiative has been taken yet,” he said.

Jewel Rana, a Class XII student of Mirzapur Government College and another regular user of the road, also expressed frustration over the poor condition.

Bhawra Union Parishad Chairman Md Masudur Rahman Masud said the road was extremely important as a large number of people used it every day.”Although the road was developed in the past, it deteriorated within a short time due to irregularities and corruption by the contractor. It has now become a death trap,” he said.

He urged the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to repair the road.

Upazila Engineer Md Monirul Saj Rizon said the road had already been inspected and consultations had been held with the local MP regarding its improvement.

“A project proposal has been prepared and sent to the ministry. Once the project is approved and funds are allocated, work to improve the road will begin quickly,” he said.