133 km of Atrai 359 km Road Network Remains Unpaved.

Nazmul Haque Nahid, Atrai (Naogaon) Correspondent. Out of a total road network spanning approximately 359 kilometers in Naogaon's Atrai Upazila, about 133 kilometers remain unpaved. These neglected rural roads have caused immense suffering for locals regarding travel and the transportation of goods; furthermore, daily life becomes unbearable due to mud during the monsoon season and dust during the dry season. Consequently, the improvement of the residents' quality of life has stalled. However, according to the Upazila LGED Engineer, proposals for paving several key roads have been submitted. Work will commence once the projects are approved at the ECNEC meeting and funds are allocated. Data from the Upazila Engineer's office indicates that the Upazila has a total road network of 358.57 kilometers. Of this, 176.96 kilometers are paved. The remaining network consists of 41.73 kilometers of Herringbone Bond (HBB) roads, 4.99 kilometers of concrete roads, 2.42 kilometers of Uni-block roads, and 132.47 kilometers of unpaved earthen roads. Inquiries across various areas of the Upazila reveal several unpaved sections: a stretch of about 2.5 kilometers from Bhangajangal Bazar to Bisha on the Atrai-Singra paved road; approximately 3.5 kilometers from Hingalkandi Bazar intersection to Dharmapur on the Patisar-Samaspara paved road; about 1.75 kilometers from the north side of Chhotadanga Bridge to Jhanjhania; roughly 1.25 kilometers from Chhotadanga Bazar to Taratia; about 2 kilometers from Jamal's house in Hatkalupara to the Old Jame Mosque in Chakshimla Uttarpara; and approximately 1.5 kilometers from Chakbazar to Ganger Dhar. These sections, along with the Parkasunda-Bilgalia road, make up the 133 kilometers of unpaved roads in the Upazila. Jamal Uddin Sheikh, a resident of Bisha Uttarpara village, stated that for the past 40 years, he has heard promises that the earthen road stretching from Bhangajangal to Bisha School would be paved, yet it remains unpaved to this day. He noted that thousands of people from at least five to seven villages rely on this road for travel and the transportation of goods. During the monsoon season, even light rain turns the road into a quagmire of knee-deep mud, causing immense hardship for school-going students, pregnant women, and the sick, as well as making the transport of agricultural produce and other goods extremely difficult. Consequently, Jamal Uddin Sheikh has urged for the road to be paved quickly to improve the locals' quality of life and alleviate their suffering. Mokhlesur Rahman, a resident of Lalpara village, mentioned that the road from Hingalkandi Intersection to Dharmapur spans approximately 3.5 kilometers. While the first half-kilometer from the intersection has been paved, the remainder of the road is still unpaved. He added that although the locals have taken initiatives several times to have the road paved, it has not yet been completed. Nitish Kumar, the LGED Engineer for Atrai Upazila, stated that several roads in the Upazila—identified as important and sources of public hardship—have been submitted as project proposals to the relevant authorities. Work will commence once the projects are approved at the ECNEC meeting and the necessary funds are allocated. However, the official assured that all these roads would eventually be paved in phases.