Pabna, August 3 (V7N) – Villagers of Chatmohar upazila in Pabna formed a nine-point human chain, demanding immediate repair of the deteriorating 14‑kilometre regional road linking Jardis Mor to Handial via Baghlabari.
 
On Saturday, a volunteer group named Chetanay Handial organized a human chain protest across nine sectors of the regional road stretching from Jardis Mor to Handial in Chatmohar upazila. Around 10 AM, local residents, students, educators, and community activists began the peaceful demonstration, which continued until 1 PM, pressing authorities for urgent road rehabilitation.
 
Speakers described the 14‑kilometre stretch as one of critical importance connecting three union councils, heavily used by vehicles and commuters traveling to and from Dhaka. “Despite its significance, the road remains full of massive potholes and vulnerable to monsoon rains, causing extreme hardship to over a million residents across the three unions,” one speaker noted.
 
The poor road conditions have led to frequent vehicular accidents and have severely disrupted daily life—particularly in transporting the sick to Upazila Health Complex in Chatmohar. Locals claimed previous attempts at repair were abandoned after contractors disappeared post‑July last year.
 
Led by convener KM Belal Hossain, and moderated by professor Zakir Hossain, the gathering featured remarks from former MP KM Anwarul Islam, BNP cultural advisor Hasanul Islam Raja, former BNP organizer Abdur Rahim Kalu, and protest sub‑committee convener Shahidul Islam. They vowed to escalate protests unless road repair work begins within a month.
 
Executive Engineer M. Aziz of Pabna’s Roads & Highways Department acknowledged the issue, stating that a recommendation has been sent to higher authorities to penalize the previous contractor for negligence. He confirmed that initial patch repairs have already begun, and that a new contractor will be appointed to complete the full road rehabilitation swiftly.
 
With political attention growing and community pressure mounting, locals warned that failure to respond will trigger further escalated actions.
 
END/MSR/SMA/