BHURUNGAMARI, KURIGRAM, Aug 27: Traders of Bangladesh and India are facing hazards due to a deplorable approach road from Sonahat Bridge to Sonahat Land Port in Bhurungamari Upazila of the district.
The road is very important for exporters and importers of the two countries.
Numerous potholes have been created on the road of this 18th land port of Bangladesh due to slow pace and irregularities in repairing, making it useless for goods-carrying trucks of both countries.
Financed under Annual Development Programme, the repairing of the 3.43-km road from Sonahat Bridge to the land port started on December 5, 2019 in 2018-19 fiscal year at Tk 44,62,08,824.
A contractor Mozahar Enterprise Pte Ltd under Kurigram Roads and Highways Department (RHD) built the road.
The land port traders complained, the trucks get stuck in the potholes most of the times and are damaged. Currently, 20 to 30 trucks enter Bangladesh against about 200 earlier. As a result, the traders are incurring losses and the government is losing huge revenue.
Indian truck drivers Abul Hossain and Khalil Sheikh said their vehicles get damaged very often. Repairing the damaged trucks takes two to three days.
They said they are losing interest to come to Bangladesh with trucks.
Expressing anger, an export-import trader Ershadul Haque, said, "The contractor built the road with substandard materials. We are suffering for this."
General Secretary of Importers and Exporters Association Abdur Razzak said, "We informed the matter to the authority concerned several times, but they took no steps. Though we are opening Letter of Credit, we cannot import goods for this deplorable road. As a result, we are facing losses and the government is losing revenue."
Port Traffic Inspector Kibria Jalil Tuhin said at least eight to ten trucks get stuck in the potholes daily. So, their arrival has reduced. The port is facing losses in this connection.
Asked, RHD Executive Engineer Ali Nuraine said, "I informed the matter to the contractor. They will repair it soon."
