Risk of major accident at both ends of Sarail Kuttapara Bridge.

Taslima Khandaker Nusrat, (Sarail Upazila), Brahmanbaria. The Kuttapara Bridge area on the only regional road connecting Sarail Bishwaroad intersection — the gateway to Brahmanbaria — to Sarail Upazila headquarters and Nasirnagar Upazila has now turned into a horrifying death trap. This is the only road used by thousands of vehicles every day. Huge and dangerous potholes have formed at the entrance and exit of Kuttapara Bridge. The asphalt, bricks and chips have broken away, and this death trap is getting deeper and riskier day by day. Despite this extremely busy and public-important road being in such a dilapidated condition and despite the clear risk of a major, bloody accident, there is no visible initiative from the concerned authorities to repair it. This has led to growing anger among local conscious citizens. A spot visit found that this is the main route from Bishwaroad intersection, adjacent to the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway, to Sarail and Nasirnagar upazilas. Senior leaders of various political parties, Union Parishad chairmen, members, the Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO) of Sarail and Nasirnagar, senior officials of the local and district administration, journalists, and dignitaries from different social strata regularly travel on this road every day. Yet these dangerous potholes at both ends of the bridge have remained a permanent death trap for a long time, right in front of almost the entire administration. Every day, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, battery-run easybikes, and goods trucks risk their lives, swerving violently to get past this broken section. Minor and major accidents occur frequently here, and vehicles break down, causing long traffic jams. What is most alarming is that thousands of young school and college students and ordinary pedestrians use this road every day, either walking or riding in light vehicles. The potholes are so severe that at any moment, due to carelessness, a large passenger vehicle could overturn and cause a major disaster with loss of life. Local conscious citizens expressed strong anger, saying, “At such an important and sensitive locality, death-trap-like potholes have formed at the mouth of the bridge, which thousands of people see every day. Then why is it not being repaired? Who is responsible for this negligence? After seeing this dangerous condition of a road built with people’s tax money, does the administration not even have the minimum urgency to repair it quickly?” To address this alarming mismanagement and lack of sustainable repairs, conscious citizens of Sarail and Nasirnagar have demanded immediate effective action. The victims and local residents are urging urgent intervention from the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Brahmanbaria and the Executive Engineer of LGED, Sarail Upazila, to make the road safe and motorable and to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.