Gazipur road caves in 9 days after completion

A newly constructed road along the Turag river in Gazipur partially collapsed before it could be formally inaugurated, just nine days after completion.

A section measuring roughly 10 to 12 feet caved in along the riverbank in the Dhananjaykhali area of Kashimpur, raising concerns among residents about safety and the durability of the Tk 11.67 crore project.

The three-kilometre road stretches from Kashimpur Nama Bazar to Dhandkhali village. Locals said cracks first appeared on Thursday, before a larger portion of the structure collapsed.

A visit to the area yesterday found that part of the riverbank had given way, leaving a visible gap along the newly built stretch.

Anisur Rahman, a resident of Kashimpur Barinda village, said the collapse had expanded over two days.

“Yesterday, the road collapsed by about 10 to 12 feet. Today, it collapsed by another four to five feet. In total, around 20 feet have been affected,” he said.

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“People are panicked. There is fear that the road could further collapse into the river. Students of Kashimpur High School and Dhandakhali Government Primary School are also facing disruption,” he added.

According to the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC), the project was implemented on the west bank of the Turag through bituminous carpeting funded by GCC. Contractor UCCL was awarded the work order.

Under the project, 250 metres of water-bound macadam (WBM), 60 millimetres of carpeting, approximately 1.8 metres of sidewalk, railings and guard walls were to be constructed in two packages.

GCC Superintendent Engineer and Project Director AKM Harunur Rashid attributed the collapse to natural causes.

“This happened due to a natural disaster. About 10 to 12 feet of the road on the riverbank has collapsed,” he told The Daily Star, adding that he had visited the site and informed the GCC chief executive officer.

He said a technical committee has been formed to determine the cause of the collapse and recommend necessary measures.