Two Tangail villages lie neglected for decades

Sartiagazi and Pachh Arda still remained the two most neglected villages in southern part of Nagarpur upazila.

People of the two villages alleged that they haven't seen any infrastructural development at those villages since the independence of the country.

Several thousand people of the two villages, under Doptior union, have been facing immense sufferings for decades due to lack of a direct paved road to go to the upazila headquarters.

Besides, condition of the only earthen Dhunail-Doulotpur road via Sarotia Gazi and Pachh Arda has remained in an awful condition and unfit for movement of the commuters for years.

Locals said due to lack of renovation or construction of the four-kilometre muddy road, sufferings of the villagers have been mounting gradually.

They said people face serious difficulties while using the earthen road as it gets muddy after a moderate rain.

Otherwise, they have to cross a small canal on boat to go to their destinations.

Villagers said it is hard to believe that after passing 50 years of the country's Independence, thousands of people have been facing communication problem only for lack of a paved road. 

Amirul Islam Alok of Satoria Gazi village said during the dry season the lone earthen road becomes unusable due to the dust while it remains muddy during the rainy season.

Moreover, students of different local school, college and madrasas often fail to reach their destinations in time and their cloths or uniforms get dirty while moving the earthen road, he said.

Local people struggle to carry any serious patients like pregnant woman and elderly people to the upazila health complex, Alok said, adding that farmers have to face hurdles while carrying their produces to nearby local markets.  

Monir Hossain of Pachh Arda village said for years they urged the local lawmakers, union parishad chairmen and other public representatives to take initiative to construct a paved road in place of the earthen one, but none of them pay heed to their appeal.

Although the road is the only means of communication for thousands of people of two villages, none seems to at least temporary renovate it, he added.

Contacted, Doptior Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Firoz Siddique said it is not possible to solve the problem with such small allocation of the union parishad.

"I have raised the issue in the upazila development coordination meeting on several occasions," the chairman said.

Ram Krishna Rama, a rights activist in Nagarpur, demanded the authorities concerned as well as other local public representatives to take initiative to construct a paved road in place of the earthen one as soon as possible.