Kalapara Municipality: Citizens' suffering increasing due to unplanned development works
Gofran Palash, Kalapara (Patuakhali)
The scene in the picture is not a drain or a water body, it is a picture of the busiest road in a residential area of Rahmatpur Ward No. 3 of Kalapara Municipality, Patuakhali. The road on which water has accumulated for months during the rainy season. Citizens have to walk on foot or in vehicles in such misery. Such water accumulates on many other roads in the city. In addition, dozens of roads in the municipality are full of potholes.
On which roads, the names of the mayor, councilor, and administrator of the municipality come up in the discussions of pedestrians while driving vehicles. Although the information about the pockets of powerful and influential people being heavy in such unplanned, temporary development activities of the municipality is now in the mouths of people, the affected citizens are reluctant to reveal their names in the media due to security risks. Because even though some powerful and influential people have fled, their places have been filled by new influential people. The looting in the name of municipal revenue collection or development activities has not stopped. And the suffering of the citizens seems to be continuing.
Sources said that development has become visible on several roads in the city, including Oil Mill Mosque Road, TNO Road, Hospital Road, Ismail Talukder Technical Road, Nazrul Islam Road, Palli Bidyut Road, Nachnapara Road, Rahmatpur Connecting Road, and Land Office Road. Unplanned development can be seen in the construction of houses in residential areas of the city with unauthorized designs or the construction of multiple drains, which narrow the roads.
Sources said that development has become visible on several roads in the city, including Oil Mill Mosque Road, TNO Road, Hospital Road, Ismail Talukder Technical Road, Nazrul Islam Road, Palli Bidyut Road, Nachnapara Road, Rahmatpur Connecting Road, and Land Office Road. Unplanned development can be seen in the construction of houses in residential areas of the city with unauthorized designs or the construction of multiple drains, which narrow the roads.
After the construction of drains higher than the road, a cover is made to use it as a footpath, but it is not of much use to pedestrians. This is being discussed in development meetings and seminars, and the drain is being broken down again and made parallel to the road. Who is benefiting even though the municipality's money is being wasted on the same unplanned development activities? This is the question that citizens are now asking.
The source further said that although the change in the situation after the July 24 movement gave hope to the citizens, nothing has changed. Although there is information on the collection of Khas collection on paper for the collection of the municipality's hats, markets, and bus stands, the picture of the revenue collection sector is the same as in the fascist era.
The source further said that although the change in the situation after the July 24 movement gave hope to the citizens, nothing has changed. Although there is information on the collection of Khas collection on paper for the collection of the municipality's hats, markets, and bus stands, the picture of the revenue collection sector is the same as in the fascist era.
Although the tender process for development activities is online, everything is being done offline as before. One person is working using the license of another. Bills are being collected before the work is completed. Even before the tender is published, the contractor who has the blessing of the leader has completed the development work. Development work is being added to the next tender. Even then, the leader is not satisfied, he is threatening the engineers while drunk to get the municipality's work. Even after such allegations, the scenario has not changed. The power of the leader who gets drunk in the middle of the night is not decreasing.
Meanwhile, in the 2023-2024 financial year, the bulk of the development work of 6 crore 28 lakh taka was spent on road and drain construction. In the 2024-2025 financial year, the bulk of the development work of 3 crore 85 lakh taka was spent on road and drain development work and the city's helipad development. Observing these visible development works of the last two financial years, the real picture of looting along with the lack of sustainable planning may be revealed.
Meanwhile, in the 2023-2024 financial year, the bulk of the development work of 6 crore 28 lakh taka was spent on road and drain construction. In the 2024-2025 financial year, the bulk of the development work of 3 crore 85 lakh taka was spent on road and drain development work and the city's helipad development. Observing these visible development works of the last two financial years, the real picture of looting along with the lack of sustainable planning may be revealed.
Even then, the construction of a walkway from the city's Ferighat intersection to the big mosque is underway at a cost of 1 crore 80 lakh taka with the funding of the municipality. There is a lot of gossip going on about this work in the BNP camp itself. It is also heard that not even 50 lakh taka will be spent on this work. Whose pocket is the remaining money going into? A BNP leader also commented. Nevertheless, waterlogging in the city during the monsoon, unplanned garbage management, mosquito infestation, water supply crisis, and uncontrolled cattle infestation are now the daily companions of the citizens.
Citizen Advocate BH Talukder Sumon of Rahmatpur Ward No. 3 of the municipality said, "The road in front of my house has been flooded for months. Even though normal movement is disrupted, no one is taking any action."
Kalapara Municipality Executive Engineer Md. Mashiur Rahman said, 'No master plan has been made for the development of Kalapara Municipality. I have seen master plans in other municipalities.' He also said, 'We have plans to renovate several roads in the city. The renovation work will be implemented if we get the allocation from ADB. An initiative has been taken to break down the drain wall along the road from in front of the municipality to the house of BNP leader Mosharraf Hossain and make it parallel to the road.'
Citizen Advocate BH Talukder Sumon of Rahmatpur Ward No. 3 of the municipality said, "The road in front of my house has been flooded for months. Even though normal movement is disrupted, no one is taking any action."
Kalapara Municipality Executive Engineer Md. Mashiur Rahman said, 'No master plan has been made for the development of Kalapara Municipality. I have seen master plans in other municipalities.' He also said, 'We have plans to renovate several roads in the city. The renovation work will be implemented if we get the allocation from ADB. An initiative has been taken to break down the drain wall along the road from in front of the municipality to the house of BNP leader Mosharraf Hossain and make it parallel to the road.'
Engineer Mashiur said, "All our tender processes are completed online. What is happening outside is not our concern. Work is completed before the tender is published, bills are released before the development work is completed, and a leader's threat to the deputy assistant engineers of the municipality in the middle of the night to get work is something that the ruling class always has."
