e_Paper (11 November 2016)

6
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016
DT
News
39th death anniversary of
Enamul Haque observed
• Tribune Desk
The 39th death anniversary
of country’s
first ever posthumous
eye-donor ARM
Enamul Haque was
observed yesterday.
Haque, a veteran social
worker and prominent
engineer, died in
2005
He had donated his
eye before three years
of his death. Later,
his corneas were transplanted to Shahadat
Chowdhury, editor of Saptahik 2000, and
one Ramzan Ali.
On the occasion, social
workers of different
organisations, groups,
individuals, family members
and journalists paid
homages to his grave.
A Milad and Doa mahfil
was also arranged.
Enamul Haque was
born in Rajkhola area,
Haora district, West Bengal
on October 1, 1921.
He had started his career
in teaching profession
in 1946.
He was one of the founders of Dhanmondi
Club. He was a linguist and was fluent in
four languages. •
A cargo laden covered-van turns turtle in Digraj area on the Khunla-Mongla Highway. Locals, drivers and
port authorities alleged that the highway has become rundown, as big potholes had developed at several
points of the roads. The photo was taken recently
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Rundown road makes
Mongla’s goods
transportation difficult
• Hedait Hossain Molla,
Khulna
Nearly six kilometres of
Khulna-Mongla Highway
are in very bad condition
and became unfit for vehicular
movement, as big
potholes have developed at
many points of the road due
to lack of repairs and maintenance.
Goods transportation and
other works of Mongla sea
port and Mongla export processing
zone are hampering
due to the bad condition of
the roads, said authorities.
Of the 60 kilometres, six
kilometres of Khulna-Mongla
Highway became unfit for
vehicular movement, said
locals.
During a visit to the roads,
this correspondent found
that a number of big potholes
have developed on the roads
making it risky for commuters
but Road and Highway
Department authorities do
not take any initiatives to repair
the roads yet.
Locals alleged that Mongla
is the second largest seaport
of the country and the
Khulna-Mongla Highway
is the only road which connected
Mongla with Khulna
and Barisal.
In 2013, Road and Highway
Department had repaired
the highway. After
three years of repairing,
this road has ruined and six
kilometres from Digraj area
to Belai on the highway are
in very bad condition and
became unfit for vehicular
movement.
As the road has become
unfit for vehicular movement,
thousands of trucks,
lorries and passenger buses
plying on the highway were
stuck up on the road for
hours, alleged locals.
Officials of Mongla sea
port, members of Navy and
tourists who came in the
area to visit world’s largest
mangrove forest Sundarbans
were also sufferings a lot due
to bad condition of the road.
Mongla Port Authority
Chairman Rear Admiral Reaz
Uddin Ahmed said: “This
highway is very much important
and we had tried to
repair the road for several
times in past with our own
accord. We also requested
Road and Highway Department
to repair the road and
they assured us that they
will repair the road as soon
as possible.”
When contacted Mahmud
Hasan, general manager of
Mongla Export Processing
Zone (EPZ), said: “We are
suffering huge due to bad
condition of Khulna-Mongla
highway. Foreign investors
also suffer when they came
here in aiming to invest
which discontent them to
invest.”
Mizanur Rahman, a fish
trader of Mongla, said: “We
need to use the road everyday
to carry our fish to Khulna
as most of the fish processing
factories situated in
Khulna.
But due to dilapidated
condition of Khulna-Mongla
highway we have to spend
at least 3 hours instead of
30 minutes to reach Khulna
from Mongla.”
Abdul Jalil, a bus driver
on the route, said: “Due to
big potholes in one side of
the road, drivers use only
one lane of the two lane road
which is causing huge traffic
jam.”
Anisuzzaman Masud, executive
engineer of Bagerhat
Roads and Hoghways, said:
“We have already called for
tender to repair the road and
hope we will able to start repair
works very soon.” •