Betagi (Barguna) Correspondent 

A culvert project (a two-vent water control structure) over an irrigation canal under a crop protection embankment in Betagi, Barguna, has remained incomplete for three years, leaving Tk 73 lakh of government funds potentially wasted and causing extreme suffering for farmers.

Locals alleged that the situation has arisen due to the negligence of the contractor. Despite multiple deadline extensions, no progress has been made, and uncertainty surrounds the project's completion. Residents say the slow pace of work offers no sign of relief for the farmers anytime soon.

According to sources from the Upazila Agriculture Department and BADC’s district office, the construction of the two-vent water control structure and the embankment in Gabua Phultala area of Bibichini Union began in the 2021–2022 fiscal year under the Smallholder Agricultural Competitiveness Project (SACP) of the Agriculture Department, with assistance from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Investigations revealed that for years, local farmers have suffered from a lack of irrigation water in the dry season and waterlogging during the rainy season. Responding to demands from local farmers, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) approved the project to build a culvert over the canal along the Bishkhali River to irrigate around 200 acres of land in the Phultala char area.

Ward No. 5 UP member of Bibichini Union, Riaz Hossain Sikder, alleged that despite several commitments, the contractor has not completed the work, depriving farmers of any project benefits.

The project was awarded to the Dhaka-based firm Messrs. Mohammad Builders, owned by Md. Sujan. However, the work was executed by his sub-contractor, Lokman Hossain from Madaripur. The regional executive engineer reportedly issued both verbal and written instructions repeatedly to the contractor for timely completion.

A field visit revealed that the two-vent culvert structure lies abandoned on the embankment. The iron rods meant for the foundation work remain exposed in the canal, now rusting and covered in water hyacinth.

Frustrated farmers questioned whether the main contractor was playing with their livelihoods. Despite multiple written notices, the contractor remains unresponsive. A source claimed that Md. Sujan, owner of the construction firm, is closely associated with Awami League Joint General Secretary A.F.M. Bahauddin Nasim, and has managed to secure several projects through these connections.

Attempts to contact Sujan since August 5 have failed, and his current whereabouts are unknown. His sub-contractor, Lokman Hossain, said, "I don’t know when the work will resume. The main contractor collected a major portion of the bill and disappeared without paying me. I’ve been deceived and financially ruined."

If the construction is further delayed, it is feared that millions of taka in government funds will go to waste, said local UP Chairman Prof. Nawab Hossain Nayon. He added, "Officials had promised the project would be completed quickly. But it's still in the early stages—we don’t know how much longer it will take."

Several farmers stated that if the culvert is completed, it would allow cultivation of three crops annually on about 200 acres of land in the Gabua Phultala area.

Betagi Upazila Agriculture Officer Tanzila Ahmed said the water control structure would protect crops from saline water, boost food production and nutrition, and ease drainage, thereby improving vegetable farming, including eggplant, bottle gourd, red spinach, and watermelon.

Local farmer Nazma Begum from Phultala village said, "Our fields flood with even a little rain during the monsoon. If the culvert had been built before the rainy season, we’d have been free from this problem forever."

Rabbiul, a watermelon farmer from Gariabunia village, said he has been cultivating watermelon on five acres for three years with high hopes. However, due to the incomplete water control structure, his fields flood during untimely rains, leading to irreparable loss each year.

Md. Tarekul Islam, the assistant engineer (irrigation) for BADC in Betagi, said, "We've repeatedly asked the contractor to complete the work. Despite verbal assurances, he hasn’t followed through. We’ve informed the regional executive engineer in Patuakhali, who has notified higher authorities in Dhaka. Though no formal response has been received yet, we hope for a solution soon."

Md. Iqbal Hossain, Additional Deputy Director of Barguna’s Agricultural Extension Department, said, "We don’t play a major role in implementing SACP projects, only monitoring them. The delay in completion is unfortunate."

Md. Mosharraf Hossain, Executive Engineer of BADC (Irrigation) in the Patuakhali region, said, "The contractor has been issued multiple verbal and written notices. The project director has been informed. If work doesn’t resume soon, final notices will be served and the contract may be canceled with further action taken as per instructions from higher authorities."

Betagi UNO  Md. Bashir Gazi said, there is no room for negligence or irresponsibility in government projects. I will inquire with the relevant department and ensure the work is completed without further delay."