Khulna Bureau :
The Khulna Metropolitan Branch of the Nirapod Sorok Chai (NISCHA) has held a symbolic protest by planting paddy saplings on the road and showing red cards to the Khulna Development Authority (KDA) demanding the commencement of work on the Khulna Shipyard Road construction project. Khulna civic leaders and local political party leaders expressed solidarity in the programme.
These programmes were held on Shipyard Road on the west side of Rupsha Bridge on Tuesday.
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Assistant Secretary General and Khulna Bureau Chief of Daily Amar Deshre Ehteshamul Haque Shaon was the chief guest on the program.
Mahbubur Rahman Munnar, General Secretary of the Khulna Metropolitan Branch of the Safe Roads Chaiyyah (NISCHA) presided over the program, which was moderated by the organization’s President Sheikh Md. Nasir Uddin.
The main speaker at the time was Advocate Babul Howlader, Member Secretary of Khulna Civil Society.
The program was addressed by Mizanur Rahman Babu, Vice President of Greater Khulna Development Coordination Committee, Sardar Abu Taher, Founder General Secretary of Amara Greater Khulnabasi, Mohammad Nuruzzaman, Khulna Correspondent of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Abdus Salam Shimul, Chairman of Khulna Development Society (KDS), Mostafa Kamal, Staff Reporter of Daily Probha.
, Saleh Uddin Sabuj, Founder of Khulna Blood Bank and Food Bank, Advisor Bangaraj Delwar, General Secretary of United Khulna Md. Mojahidur Rahman, General Secretary of Ward 31 Jamaat Md. Firoz Mahmud, Assistant Secretary Shahidul Islam Ujjal, Vice President of Ward 31 of Islami Andolan Md. Kabir Hossain, Vice President of Youth Andolan Md.
Lablu Sardar, Member Secretary of Chhatra Dal Sadar Police Station Abdus Salam, President of Haque Super Market adjacent to Rupsha Bridge Mojibur Rahman, Jubo Dal leader Rezaul, Nischar Khulna Metropolitan Branch Deputy General Secretary Md. Abu Musa, Publication Secretary Tanjim Ahmed, Social Welfare and Sports Secretary Manjurul Islam, Executive Member Humayun Kabir, Md. MA Sadi, Abdullah Al Mamun, Rodela Akhter Reshmi, Kazi Abdul Wahab, Md. Chunnu Khandaker, Hossain Mahmud Bachchu, Md. Sakhawat Hossain Swapan, Unani Medical College student Zahidur Rahman.
At this time, the speakers said that the approximately 4-kilometer stretch from Rupsha Traffic Interchange to Khanjahan Ali (R.) Bridge, one of the busiest roads in Khulna, has become a death trap. Thousands of people are taking extreme risks every day on roads with large potholes and dilapidated roads due to lack of repairs for 12 years. Due to negligence and irregularities of the contractor company, Mahabub Brothers, who worked on this road construction project, the road work was not completed. As a result, the Khulna Development Authority has canceled the contract with the contractor company. The little work that has been completed due to the contractor company’s loot is of poor quality. Currently, large potholes have formed on the road and water has accumulated in it. The public suffering has reached its peak due to digging on both sides of the road and leaving it abandoned for years. In a word, the road has become a death trap. Due to the lack of repairs on this important road for 12 years, the movement and safety of the city residents are almost at a standstill. Today’s rice planting and red card display program is not just a symbolic protest, it is a symbol of the citizens’ long-term rights and demands for safe roads.
Despite such slowness and failure in the project, why was the contractor paid nearly 70 crore taka? Why were they not held accountable? The speakers raised such questions to the KDA.
They demanded immediate action against the culprits and said that KDA and the contractor Mahbub Brothers cannot avoid the responsibility for the non-implementation of the Shipyard Road project. All those involved in this project must be brought to justice.
Calling on those concerned to immediately complete the work of this road, the speakers threatened to surround the houses of KDA and the contractor Mahbub Brothers if the construction work of the road is not resumed soon.
