Road upgrade fraud turns village routes into muddy tracks in Jamalpur

Residents of Jamalpur Sadar upazila are facing serious hardship after an alleged fraud syndicate removed and sold bricks from several rural roads, falsely claiming the roads would be upgraded with bitumen.

The affected roads are the 3.5 km stretch from Bhanguri Ghat to Moynar Mor and the 2 km road from Pakulya Bhanguni Ghat to Gajari Ata Bhanga Bridge in Rashidpur union.

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Locals allege that the syndicate organised an inauguration ceremony, introduced itself as the contractor for the projects and subsequently removed the bricks before disappearing without carrying out any construction work.

According to locals, brick soling had been laid on the two roads several years ago, significantly easing communication for residents of Gajari Ata, Gupinathpur, Hatuvanga, Duyailpara and nearby villages.

In May, an inauguration ceremony was held for the proposed paving of the Bhanguri Ghat-Moynar Mor road.

Speakers at the event claimed that a Dhaka-based contractor had secured a Tk 4.8 crore contract, with a man named Abdul Mannan claiming to be the subcontractor. Local MP and political leaders attended the programme.

The following day, workers under Mannan began removing the existing bricks and transporting them elsewhere.

A similar incident took place about two months earlier on the Pakulya Bhanguni Ghat-Gajari Ata Bhanga Bridge road, where bricks were also removed on the assurance that a paved road would be built.

Residents later discovered that the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) had not approved any development project for either road.

Locals said they had no reason to doubt the authenticity of the projects because elected representatives and prominent local figures attended the inauguration.

Suspicion arose only after no construction work began following the removal of the bricks. Subsequent inquiries revealed that no tender had ever been issued for the roads.

Police and residents identified Abdul Mannan, 50, of Hobdesh village in Digpait union, as the alleged mastermind. After living in Dhaka for many years, he returned to the area and introduced himself as a contractor.

Using the same tactic, Mannan and his associates allegedly attempted to remove bricks from another road in Chandpur area on June 16.

Local residents detained 11 members of the group and handed them over to police. A case was filed, and they were sent to jail before securing bail.

Md Manjurul Khan, sub-inspector of Narayanpur Police Investigation Centre, said no case had been filed over the Gajari Ata road.

However, he confirmed that 11 members of the group were arrested in the Chandpur incident and that the investigation is ongoing.

A recent visit to the area found the Bhanguri Ghat-Moynar Mor road almost completely stripped of bricks.

The road has turned into a muddy track, making it impassable for motorcycles, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles. Many pedestrians were seen carrying their shoes while walking through knee-deep mud.

The damaged roads have developed large potholes and become waterlogged after rainfall, severely disrupting daily life. Farmers are struggling to transport produce to markets, students are walking long distances to schools, and access to emergency healthcare has also been affected.

Jamil Hasan, a member of Rashidpur union BNP, said residents had trusted the project because an MP and other prominent figures attended the event.

"We never imagined such a fraud. Ordinary villagers have become the worst victims," he said.

However, Rashidpur union BNP President Abul Hossain and General Secretary Azharul Islam denied attending the programme.

Sadar Upazila BNP General Secretary Md Ruhul Amin said he had visited the site after hearing that the MP would be there.

"At that time, I did not realise it was a fraud. It was an audacious act of theft," he said.

Jamalpur-5 MP Shah Md Wares Ali Mamun said he had not attended any formal inauguration ceremony but had gone to inspect the road.

He said he initially failed to realise it was a fraudulent scheme. After verifying with LGED and the upazila administration that no tender had been issued, local party leaders and activists helped detain members of the syndicate and hand them over to police.

Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Naznin Akhter said she was unaware of the inauguration. After learning about the matter from the MP, she found that no project had been approved for the roads. She said steps were being taken to reconstruct the roads as quickly as possible and that two cases had been filed against those involved.

LGED Executive Engineer in Jamalpur Rozdid Ahmed said cases had been filed over the removal of bricks from three roads in the upazila. Although no development projects are currently underway on those roads, he said necessary initiatives would be taken soon to ease public suffering.