Jhalkathi, Oct 29 (V7N) –  Aggrieved residents of North Manpasha village in Sadar Upazila’s Binaykathi Union have formed a human chain to protest against ongoing obstructions to road construction in their area. The hour-long demonstration took place on Tuesday afternoon, where locals voiced their frustrations and demanded justice against those impeding the road work.

Prominent figures at the protest included Hero Freedom Fighters Yunuch Ali Hawladar, HM Nuruzzaman, and Rastum Ali Hawladar, among others. They highlighted that the dirt road stretching from Gabbari of North Manpasha village to the house of a local member has served the community for over 50 years. The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) had recently completed the tender process for asphalt carpeting of the road and issued a final work order on June 26.

However, a group in the vicinity filed a lawsuit to halt the road work, prompting the court to issue a show cause notice to the LGED. The LGED responded that a work order prevents any road closure, yet the contractor has been unable to commence work due to the ongoing legal situation. Residents expressed concerns that if the road work is not completed promptly, the work order may be canceled, adversely affecting hundreds of families.

Local leaders involved in the protest, including Pallab Sheel, former Joint General Secretary of Hatim Ali College Chhatra League, and others, called for administrative intervention to ensure the road is completed and made safe for public use.

The residents accused Sukumar Sheel and Sunil Sheel, with the help of identified litigator Swapan Sheel, of intentionally obstructing the road development through legal maneuvers. Notably, Swapan Sheel has a history of legal issues, including imprisonment for allegedly forging a court judge's signature.

The community is urging authorities to take swift action against the individuals responsible for these disruptions to ensure the road project proceeds without further delay.

END/AI/AJ