Residents of Sarail upazila in Brahmanbaria district have begun repairing a long-neglected dirt road using personal donations and volunteer labour.
It was observed that the main dirt road at Dhitpur South area under Shahbazpur union of the upazila, riddled with potholes and nearly impassable, is being repaired by locals themselves; decades after independence and in the absence of government attention.
Led by Kazi Mohammad Hossain, residents have started filling potholes with bricks collected from a local brick kiln, using voluntary labour to make the road usable again.
Locals said that the road was main connection between ward no. 4 and ward no. 6 of the union, used daily by hundreds of people, including students and patients. Despite repeated appeals to local representatives, no action had been taken.
They noted that heavy rains worsened the condition of the road each year, creating deep potholes. With no assistance forthcoming, they had decided to take matters into their own hands and repair the road themselves.
Kazi Mohammad Hossain stated, “This road is about 2 kilometers long and has never been paved since independence.
With support from the community and a nearby brick kiln, we've started repairing it ourselves.”
He added that they were appealing to upazila administration, particularly the UNO, to allocate funds and prioritize the development of the crucial road.
He emphasized that all the locals wanted was a durable and safe road for the community.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mosharraf Hossain praised the initiative, calling it a commendable and noble effort.
He confirmed that the road has been included in official development plan and will be prioritized in the upcoming government allocation.
