Narayanganj RHD under fire for unauthorized repair work at Shimrail intersection

On Friday, the Narayanganj Roads and Highways Department undertook road repair operations at the Shimrail intersection, an area formally under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka Roads and Highway Division. The intervention was deployed along the vital route adjacent to the Dhaka-Chittagong highway to address deteriorating road conditions that had posed challenges for commuters and transport operators alike.

The extensive maintenance activities commenced during the morning hours, specifically starting from 11:00 AM, and continued steadily through the afternoon until 3:00 PM. During this four-hour operational window, workers utilized two thousand whole bricks alongside two truckloads of sand, commonly referred to as viti balu, to fill the deep potholes and uneven surfaces that had previously troubled the busy intersection.

However, the execution of these unauthorized repairs quickly drew official scrutiny from the higher administrative authority managing the sector. Officials from the Dhaka Roads and Highway Division confirmed that the Narayanganj branch had initiated and completed the infrastructure intervention without securing the mandatory prior clearance, official sanction, or statutory approval required for such localized construction works.

Addressing the unauthorized nature of the project, Cynthia Azmeri Khan stated: "No permission was taken from us by the Narayanganj Roads and Highways Department to fill the potholes or carry out repair work on that section of the road. They did not even inform us about anything. Therefore, we have asked them to stop the work. They will remove their bricks and sand. When the office reopens, we will send a letter instructing them not to undertake such work again."

As the administrative fallout from the Friday intervention continues to develop, the directives issued by the Dhaka division necessitate the immediate clearance of the deployed resources from the Shimrail site. The regional department remains firm on protocol, emphasizing that coordination and prior authorization are compulsory prerequisites for any engineering or repair activities conducted within its designated geographical domain along the highway corridor.