Residents of Lakshmipur’s Sadar upazila staged a dramatic protest on Thursday, alleging serious irregularities and poor workmanship in the recent renovation of the Botoli–Dattapara road. Carrying brooms as a symbol of protest, demonstrators marched through the area and went on to blockade the Dhaka–Lakshmipur regional highway for nearly three hours, demanding immediate corrective action.
The protest began at around 11:00 am, when local people gathered in the Botoli area, voicing their frustration through chants and slogans against what they described as corruption and negligence in public infrastructure projects. As the demonstrators moved onto the regional highway and sat in protest, vehicular traffic came to a complete standstill. The blockade caused severe disruption, leaving schoolchildren stranded, delaying ambulances transporting patients, and preventing office-goers and daily wage earners from reaching their destinations on time.
Witnesses said tensions rose steadily as the protest continued. At approximately 1:30 pm, the situation began to ease after the Executive Engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Ujjwal Chowdhury, arrived at the scene. He held discussions with protest leaders and assured them that the quality of the roadworks would be inspected thoroughly and that appropriate measures would be taken if irregularities were found. Following these assurances, protesters eventually withdrew from the highway, allowing traffic to resume.
Local residents claim that the Botoli–Dattapara road was renovated barely two months ago, yet signs of deterioration appeared almost immediately. Several sections of the road have reportedly subsided, while the asphalt carpeting has cracked and peeled away, making travel hazardous—particularly during rain or at night. According to locals, the poor condition of the road poses a growing risk of accidents and vehicle damage.
Sources at the LGED office confirmed that the renovation work was completed in November last year. The project involved carpeting a stretch of road approximately two kilometres in length and was awarded to a private contractor at significant public expense.
The following table summarises key details of the road project:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Road name | Botoli–Dattapara Road |
| Length | Approximately 2 kilometres |
| Renovation cost | BDT 18 million |
| Implementing authority | Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) |
| Contractor | Mojibur Traders |
| Completion date | November (last year) |
One of the protesters, Md Faisal Mia, accused those involved of misappropriating taxpayers’ money under the guise of development. He alleged collusion between contractors and certain officials, claiming that repeated complaints from residents had gone unheeded. Other demonstrators echoed these concerns, stating that there was little to no on-site supervision during construction, allowing the contractor to carry out work without adhering to proper standards.
In response, Executive Engineer Ujjwal Chowdhury said he had joined his post in Lakshmipur only a month ago and that the project was completed before his tenure. He added that due to allegations of substandard work, the contractor’s bill has not yet been cleared. A formal request has been sent to higher authorities for an on-site inspection, he said, stressing that accountability would be ensured following a technical review.
Residents have warned that unless swift and transparent action is taken, they may resume protests to safeguard both public funds and road safety.