October 21, 2025, 9:22 pm

Hatikumrul-Bhuiyaganti highway turns to death trap

  • Update Time : Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Photo: TDS


Sluggish pace of 4-lane work leads frequent accidents



Locals form human chain demanding foot-over bridge
and road safety



Staff Reporter:



Agitation has sparked among the people of several villages in Raiganj and Ullapara upazila in Sirajganj district due to frequent road accidents as several points of the highway from Hatikumrul to Bhuiyaganti have now turned into death traps caused by sluggish pace of four lane construction works.

Protesting to the negligence of the SASEC-2 project officials and demanding foot-over bridge along with road safety, several hundreds of people from different villages in the both upazilas formed a human chain at Shahebganj Baza’ar bus stand area on the highway on Tuesday.

Students, teachers, socio-cultural activists and political personalities took part in the agitation to press home their demand for foot-over bridge and safety of lives.

The demonstration was presided over by Abdul Momin Sarker, President of Shahebganj Baza’ar Committee, while Raiganj upazila BNP leader VP Aynul Haque, Engineer Sabbir Ahmed and Nalka Union Parishad Panel Chairman Rejaul Karim among others spoke on the occasion by participating at the human chain.

Speakers at the programme said, several points from Hatikumrul to Bhuiyaganti area of the under construction Elenga-Rangpur four-lane oriented highway have turned to death traps due to slow pace of construction works and faulty movements of vehicles. Of them, Bhuiyaganti, Shahebganj and Ghurka Beltola portion of the highway have become highly risky and accident prone due to lack of side-lanes or service-lane. Construction related people of the project often carry their works on the highway putting barricade on one side that forces vehicles to ply on wrong-way or inverse way using any of the lanes. Consequently, accidents have now become a regular phenomenon in the area that claiming many lives. Besides, many people are being crippled due to the fatal accidents.

Speakers further said, Bhuiyaganti Palli Bidyut intersection near the over-bridge has now turned into an accident prone spot. Highest accidents of the year have been occurred at the area leaving many people dead and injured.

The locals complained that, they earlier staged several demonstrations including forming human chain and rally at the spot demanding solution. Though, the UNO of Raiganj assured them to take necessary steps in this regard, no effective measure was taken so far except holding several meetings. Besides, SASEC-2 authorities did not pay heeds in this regard as they have no headache over their mismanagement and negligence even after death of people in repeated accidents.

Locals further complained that, due to faulty design of the SASEC-2 project and starting works without it analysis, Bhuiyaganti Palli Bidyut morh has become a spot of problems.

Demonstrators said that, sluggish pace of construction works and reckless driving of transports drivers have caused of dropping lives on the highway one after another. Huge number of three wheelers especially CNG driven auto-rickshaws and battery run rickshaws and vans ply on the main lanes due to lack of side-lane or service-lane. Besides, plying of vehicles through the wrong way is leading to frequent accidents.

Agitating demonstrators boldly complained that, drivers of three wheelers ply on the restricted highway making settlement or negotiation with some unscrupulous traffic police in exchange of money. Therefore, traffic police don’t show any interest or reaction to prevent them even after filing verbal complaints more than one, they added.

To get relief from such discrepancies, villagers and commuters demanded foot-over bridges at some important places including Shahebganj Baza’ar to make the crossing safer.

Habibur Rahman, a teacher of Shahebganj area told The Daily Sky that, an engineer named Rabin Islam lost his life in a road accident on October 19, when he was crossing the road. Besides, more than 25 people died from separate road accidents occurred in the mentioned areas in the last three months.

When contacted, Ismail Hossain, Officer in Charge of Hatikumurl Highway thana told The Daily Sky that, “At least 15 persons including women and children were killed in 15 separate road accidents in my jurisdiction especially from Hatikumrul to Bhuiyaganti area in a span of time from July 1 to October 21. We however are trying to alter the drivers to avert wrong way. Besides, we are taking action against the three wheelers, if anyone violates rules and directives. But, we are facing same problems due to ongoing development works. If the construction work had been completed quickly, such problems would not have arisen.”

Attempts of this reporter to know the comment of Project Manager of Hatikumrul Interchange and SASEC-II Engineer Mahbubur Rahman Russel in this regard went vain as he did not response.

Even Dr Md. Waliur Rahman (ID: 005083), Additional Chief Engineer (ACE) and Project Director (PD) of SASEC-II (Improvement of Elenga-Hatikamrul-Rangpur Road to a 4-Lane Highway) did not pick up the phone, while contacted over cell phone for unknown reasons.

 

 

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