MPs fume over road condition

Lawmakers expressed deep resentment over the road conditions in the country and said it hurt their image.

The legislators made the remarks at a meeting on the country's road condition held  at  the Ministry of Planning in the capital.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, chairmen and members of parliamentary standing committees on planning, road transports and bridges and LGRD ministries and their engineers took part in the meeting.

The relevant representatives said they would immediately launch a crash programme to repair roads across the country ahead of the next general election slated for December.

The lawmakers said they often faced embarrassment when they visited their constituencies and people even raised questions about their integrity as the roads were damaged within a few months of construction.

After the meeting, AL lawmaker Mohibur Rahman Manik told reporters that massive road repair work would start soon keeping the next parliamentary elections in mind.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said as an immediate step, directives had been given to start repair works and bring the roads back to shape.

Besides, a committee has been formed to determine which method --concrete-based or bitumen-based -- should be used for constructing roads and highways by the government, he told reporters.

Kamal said the meeting was convened as the prime minister had long been saying that she was facing questions about the quality of roads in some places and she, on several occasions, asked how the longevity of roads could be extended.

Abul Kalam Azad, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on planning, told the meeting that they visited Malaysia in 2016 and gave observations after seeing the roads and highways there.

“But we don't find any reflection [of our observation] in the construction of roads and highways in Bangladesh,” a meeting source quoted Azad as saying.

He said they have to visit a number of districts where the road conditions are very poor. In many cases, roads fall into disrepair six months into their construction.

“How will we respond to the taxpayers,” he was quoted as saying.

Major (retd) Rafiqul Islam, Bir Uttam, chairman of the standing committee on the shipping ministry, told the meeting that people expect that once a road is constructed, it will be usable for at least five years. Instead, they are damaged within a year.

Even school students questioned him about the short lifespan of the roads, he said.

“People are suspecting that we misappropriate money from road construction…people often raise questions about our integrity,” a meeting source quoted Rafiqul as saying.

He said some factories produced low-quality bitumen while some people imported low-quality bitumen. He recommended closing such bitumen factories.

JSD lawmaker Nazmul Haque Prodhan said people suspect corruption took place during road construction. Roads have to be built keeping longevity in mind, he said.

CONCRETE OR BITUMEN?

After the meeting, Mustafa Kamal said a committee had been formed to determine which method of construction --concrete-based or bitumen-based -- the government should use for roads and highways.

Abul Kalam Azad will lead the committee incorporating two members from the ministries concerned, he said.

The committee will visit several countries, including India and Malaysia to observe their road construction and will give their observations on which method will be good and cost-effective for Bangladesh, he said.

The committee was asked to give their report within 15 days.

However, not the same method would be used for constructing all the roads and highways , Kamal said.

The minister said many roads and highways were damaged due to excessive rain and flood last year.

Directives have been given to start repair work of roads across the country immediately.

Replying to a question about starting repair work of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway within one year of its construction, he declined to comment and said the concerned minister could give answer.

“My work is to approve projects. My people have already visited the highway but I did not get their report yet. I can say upon receiving it,” he added.

AL lawmaker Mohibur Rahman Manik said a massive repair work of roads will start across the country ahead of the next parliamentary election and it will add a new dimension to development.

“Directives have been given to do everything not only centring the next election but also for sustainable development,” said Manik, also a member of the parliamentary standing committee on planning ministry.