Streets around Agargaon office zone turn into ditches

Conditions of the streets in and around Dhaka’s Agargaon office zone belie the importance of the area, studded with several major government offices.

Hasiba Ali Bornabdnews24.com
Published : 4 July 2015, 12:34 PM
Updated : 4 July 2015, 02:17 PM

Thoroughfares around these public offices are almost impassable being full of potholes and ditches, and remain waterlogged almost throughout the year.

In monsoon season, commuting through those roads becomes a nightmare. Even a moderate rain could spell havoc.

But the area is home to headquarters of significant institutions like Islamic Foundation, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Bangladesh National Scientific and Technical Documentation Centre (BANSDOC), Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), Bangladesh Coast Guard and Department of Archaeology, among others.

Major specialised hospitals for neurology, ophthalmology, orthopaedic and childcare are also located in the area.

The most pathetic is the condition of the road that links Islamic Foundation and PSKF, and the streets in front of Coast Guard headquarters and SAARC Meteorological Research Center.

Street lights are non-functional in almost all the streets in the area.

Commuters and rickshaw-pullers say accidents occur regularly on the rundown roads.

Rickshaw-puller ‘Jalil’ says, “Plying rickshaw on these rundown roads is very arduous.”

He adds, “Accidents are frequent in the area particularly at nights due to lack of light.”

Islamic Foundation employee ‘Idris’ expresses his anger over the road condition. “So many government offices are located in the area but none gives attention to these roads,” he lamented.

He says the people have to commute through the dilapidated and inundated roads all through the year.

Locals and regular commuters hold lack of repair works responsible for the adversity.

Shops, garages and even shanties sprouted illegally encroaching footpaths along the roads while the drainage system is almost nonexistent.

A local resident, Ibrahim Alam, told bdnews24.com, “There is no one to look after the rundown condition of the roads in this area.”

He hopes the recently elected representatives of the city corporation will play a proactive role to improve the situation.

“We hope the new councillor will take immediate steps to repair the roads.”

Apart from road repairs, Ibrahim Alam wants a proper drainage system and functional streetlights in the area.