Three people were seen peeling off the carpeting of a newly repaired road by hand, while another recorded the scene on a mobile phone. In the video, a local resident can be heard expressing anger over the road condition and accusing the contractor of substandard work. The video has recently gone viral on Facebook.
Inquiries revealed that the video was filmed last Thursday in Naoghata village of Lohagara upazila in Chattogram. The road, locally known as the Padua–Naoghata Road, is used daily by around 15,000 residents of Naoghata, Andharmanik, Dhalibila and Bagmua villages. Those removing the carpeting are residents of Naoghata.
Locals said the contractor completed the repair work on Tuesday, but within two days the carpeting began to come off. They alleged the work was done negligently and warned that the road would develop potholes during the upcoming monsoon, causing long-term suffering for commuters.
According to the Lohagara LGED office, the government allocated BDT 9.3 million in the 2020–21 fiscal year to upgrade a 1,050-metre stretch of the road. Following a tender process, the work order was awarded to local contractor firm Messrs Dipu Kanti Pal. The bitumen and stone carpeting was completed in June 2024, but the surface peeled off at several points last year.
The upazila administration said about BDT 900,000 from the total allocation was kept as a security deposit, to be refunded one year after project handover. Under the project terms, the contractor was required to fix any defects during this period. Officials allege the contractor carried out rushed repairs in an attempt to reclaim the deposit.
During a visit to the Deliyapara area on Thursday afternoon, locals were seen removing at least 20 feet of carpeting by hand. They said a truck braking at the spot that morning caused the surface to peel off, prompting their protest.
Padua Union Parishad panel chairman Liaqat Ali told Prothom Alo that allegations of irregularities had also surfaced during the road’s initial construction in 2024, which did not even last a year. Similar complaints have now emerged over the latest repairs, and locals are demanding the work be redone in line with proper standards.
The project contractor, Dipu Kanti Pal, died six months ago. LGED officials and workers involved in the repairs said a local man named Zakaria Babul, an associate of the contractor, carried out the work on behalf of the firm. However, Zakaria Babul denied any involvement when contacted.
Lohagara LGED sub-assistant engineer Moinul Islam said the contractor carried out the work using low-quality materials without informing the department, adding that the security deposit would not be released unless the road is properly reconstructed and handed over.
