A portion of Hemayet Uddin Bir Bikram Road has collapsed into the Kotalipara–Poysarhat canal at Bankura village in Kotalipara upazila of Gopalganj, causing immense suffering for local residents.
Part of the road has collapsed recently as the canal was being excavated, using dredgers, locals alleged.
Alamin Sheikh, Ruhul Amin and Zafar Sheikh of Bankura village complained that if the canal had been dewatered before soil extraction, the risk of the road collapsing would have been minimal. But the contracting firm has not followed the agreement and is carrying out the work with dredgers in a water-filled canal, causing damage to the road.
According to the Water Development Board in Gopalganj, with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Gopalganj–Poysarhat canal re-excavation project began in 2024 at a cost of Tk 15 crore 44 lakh 17 thousand. The contract required the canal to be dewatered first before excavation, but the contractor, Ataur Rahman Khan Ltd., did not follow this requirement.
A visit to the site shows that a large portion of the Hemayet Uddin Bir Bikrom Road in Bankura village under Hiron Union has collapsed into the canal. Every day, students of Mojhbari Government Primary School (No. 61), Bankura Madrasa, and several other educational institutions — along with residents of six villages, including Mojhbari, Bankura, Tarashi and Dhurail — are travelling along the risky road.
Rabiul Islam, a student of Bankura Madrasa, said, “There is no alternative route other than this road. Last night (Sunday, 23 November) a big portion, along with trees, collapsed into the canal. Walking or riding a bicycle feels very dangerous now.”
Local resident Nazrul Islam said, “The contractors are doing superficial work without following the contract. Even though the project cost is in crores, the quality of work is poor. This is the result of a lack of accountability.”
Meanwhile, it has been alleged that re-excavation of nine more canals in the upazila this fiscal year is also being carried out with excavators directly in water, without first draining the canals.
When asked about the allegations, Mejbauddin, the official in charge from Ataur Rahman Khan Ltd., said, “If we drain the water, the road may be damaged, so we are using dredgers. Wherever the road collapses, we will repair it.”
Project engineer Md. Shafikul Islam said, “Due to geographical reasons, it was not possible to drain the water. We are aware of the road damage and necessary steps will be taken soon.”
Kotalipara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sagupta Haque said, “We are taking the matter seriously. Instructions have been given to repair the damaged road immediately.”
Mohr Ali Sheikh of Mojhbari village said that if the work is not done properly and according to standards, not only the road but the entire area may face new dangers. He demanded that the situation be resolved quickly.
