Sylhet-Dhaka regional highway remains a distant reality
Rajat Kanti Goswami, Moulvibazar
A proposal for Sylhet-Dhaka regional highway via Sylhet-Fenchuganj-Jagadishpur-Moulvibazar remained a distant reality for the last 33 years. About 20 lakh people of Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts are suffering for lack of smooth road communication. It had always been an election pledge of the political leaders in the region since 1973. But after each and every election, the politicians forgot their promises. In 1991, when BNP came to power, Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman who is also an influential policymaker in his party, took an initiative to construct the regional highway. But, only the Fenchuganj to Rajnagar portion of the highway was constructed. Now local vehicles are plying through thew road and fertilisers produced in Fenchuganj Fertilizer Factory are being transported through it. In 1996, when Awami League came to power, the government constructed a new Dhaka-Sylhet highway changing the original sketch of the highway. The new highway was constructed through Sherpur, Nabiganj, Bahubal, Nawapara and Madhabpur while it was opened for vehicular traffic in early 2005. But Moulvibazar district headquarters, Srimongal and Chunarughat upazila headquarters were excluded from the route. After its opening, the inter-district buses and trucks started plying along the route by avoiding the old highway. As a result, the sufferings of the passengers from Fenchuganj, Rajnagar, Srimongal and Chunarughat upazilas including those of Moulvibazar district headquarters have multiplied. This has left an adverse impact on trade and commerce in the areas. Now the general passengers and businessmen have to go Sherpur or Shayestaganj to avail the inter-district buses. Similarly, the passengers coming to Srimangal and Moulvibazar have to descend at Sherpur or Shayestaganj to avail local buses to Srimangal and Moulvibazar. While inaugurating the Khowai Bridge at Shayestaganj in October, 1997, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also promised to construct the regional highway. She repeated her promise during a foundation laying ceremony of Khushiara Bridge at Fenchuganj in February, 2000. But her promise was never fulfilled. In mid-2005, the present government took a step to repair part of the old highway from Mirpur to Sherpur via Srimongal and Moulvibazar. Although the expansion work of the project began, it is progressing at a snail's pace.
| 
