Jashore-Jhenaidah road in a sorry state

The 45-kilometre road connecting Jashore and Jhenaidah districts has been in a dilapidated state for quite a while.
The road is currently under a project to upgrade it to six lanes, according to sources at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority.
During a recent visit, this correspondent observed that the road’s bitumen surface has worn off while numerous potholes have formed along almost the entire stretch, thereby making vehicular movement extremely difficult.
“The road is a very busy one as around 30,000 vehicles ply it daily between Mongla and Bhomra ports,” said Md Atiar Rahman, engineer of BRTA in Jhenaidah.
“Although it is currently under a six-lane project, the road is hardly serving its purpose due to its present state, causing sluggish vehicular movement amid heightened risk of fatal accidents,” he added.
Mostafa, a bus driver, said while it used to take only an hour to move between Jashore and Jhenaidah earlier, now it takes more than two hours to drive the same distance amid risk of accidents.
Azizur Rahman, a truck driver, echoed him.
Contacted, Md Mohibul Islam, additional director of Jhenaidah-Jashore Highway (N-7) Improvement Project, said the road is now undergoing repair works and the present issues will be solved once the works are completed.