Communication on Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj road suspended

The roads and highways authority suspended communication on Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj highway for reconstruction of the road creating immense suffering to commuters.
Very small numbers of vehicles are playing between Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj using alternative route avoiding the highway.
The road on the alternative route is very narrow and vehicles need to run 40 kilometers extra. Usually a it takes about one hour to reach Rajshahi from Chapainawabganj but now it take about three hours for the additional distance, passengers claimed.
A spot visit found that a 200-metre stretch of road at Hatnabad and 80-metre stretch at Baliaghata were full big potholes in the middle of the road.
Shabuddin Mahtab, resident of Baliaghata area, told New Age, ‘We see the communications minister is visiting many important roads and highways in person in the capital and its outskirts but did not come in this area. That is why serious potholes prevail in the middle of the highway for long time.’
Chapainawabganj Truck Labour Union general secretary Abdul Khalek told New Age that because of the reconstruction work they shut their business. He said they have to run extra 40 kilometers to avoid 10-kiometre of rickety road but the clients do not agree to pay extra fare.
Eyahia Biswash, president of Chapainawabganj Bus Owner Association, said they are using Chapainawabganj-Amnura-Godagari route to avoid Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj highway wasting at least two hours extra time and additional fuel. Passengers get angry as they fail to reach destinations in time.
Roads and Higways executive engineer in Rajshahi Shamsuddin Ahammad said that they are now rapidly bedding bricks for temporary period to resume communication.
After Eid-ul-Azha and rainy reason they will go for permanent solution, he added.

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