Although heavy vehicles like bus, truck and lorry can somehow manage to get away through the uneven roads, the smaller or more fragile transports such as rickshaw, CNG auto-rickshaw and car, run the risk of accidents.

The roads including lanes and by-lanes are also badly devastated and dilapidated one would surely wonder whether or not these are the roads of the port city, the commercial capital of the country.

The CCC has woken up with a Tk 25 crore project recently, but citizens here are really wary of the sincerity of its commitment.

A rickshaw carrying Parvin Akhtar, a housewife in Kapasgola area under Chawk Bazar Ward, turned upside down in the blink of an eye the young rickshaw-puller was driving fast, apparently unaware of the danger of cracks on the road. Parvin was returning to her residence along with her five-year-old daughter from school. Both the mother and the daughter received injuries, with the kid having required to be treated at hospital.

"Due to the decrepit roads, it is very difficult for us nowadays to travel safely either to my daughter's school or market or other places in the city," she said.

Saif Chowdhury, a Jamuna Bank officer, are to endure bitter experience everyday while travelling from his Bakalia residence to office at Agrabad Commercial Area, thanks to the rundown roads.

"The city we live in was once an example to other cities of the country for its good and clean roads as well as healthy environment. Now, it looks like a ghostly city and the condition of the roads are awesomely dangerous," Saif said.

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed said the entire road communications of the city will collapse if the dilapidated roads are not repaired immediately.

"I get confused whether or not it is the second-most important city of the country."

The condition of roads at Bohaddarhat, Chandgaon, Muradpur, Badurtala, Kapasgola, Chawk Bazar, Sholok Bahar, Katalganj, Bakalia, Sholoshahar, Panchlaish, New Market, Chittagong College, Gani Bakery, Jamal Khan, SS Khaled Road, Majhirghat, Bangla Bazar, Madarbari, Sadarghat, Nalapara, Feeringi Bazar, Patharghata, Dewanhat, Chatteswari (in front of Chittagong Medical College Hostel), Mehdibag, OR Nizam Road, Pahartali, Halishahar, Kattali, Barik Building, Monsurabad, Eidgah, Oxygen, Jalalabad, Bayezid Bostami, Dewan Bazar, and Chandanpura areas are beyond description.

CNG auto-rickshaw drivers often refuse the passengers to avoid the said dilapidated roads.

The CCC officials said the record downpour on June 11 and onwards coupled with waterlogging mainly caused the extensive damage of the city roads.

Acting Mayor M Monjur Alam said they couldn't repair the damaged roads timely for lack of adequate fund. He said the repair work will begin soon as the government has allocated Tk 25 crore in this regard.

Of 650 CCC roads, 430 have bitumen carpeting, 70 concreting and 150 are brick soling, sources said.