Rural roads have got damaged severely in Sariakandi upazila of Bogra due to frequent movement of sand-laden drum trucks, causing immense suffering for local residents.
Heavy machinery is being used indiscriminately to illegally extract and sell sand. trucks are also operating on block-paved roads. Additionally, these trucks are causing severe traffic congestion on the main roads of two municipal areas. Victims have urged the concerned government authorities to intervene immediately in the public interest and ban the movement of these drum trucks.
More than a hundred drum trucks operate daily carrying sand extracted and stockpiled from various points of East Bogura’s Sariakandi upazila. After evening, the movement of such trucks increases significantly. Although heavy vehicles are prohibited on rural roads, 10-wheel or larger sand-laden drum trucks are operating freely. This has caused the soil along both sides of the roads to erode, creating drain-like holes. In some places, the carpeting has peeled off; in others, large potholes have developed.
About one and a half years ago, a road from Boroikandi Bazar to Mashirpara Bridge under Kutubpur Union was built at a cost of several crore taka. The block-paved road had significantly enhanced the area’s beauty. But over the past few months, hundreds of sand-laden drum trucks have been using this road every day. As a result, the block bricks have broken, in some places sinking and forming large pits, and in other places creating long, wide drain-like channels.
Similarly, the movement of sand-laden trucks has damaged the main road from Chaihata Bazar to Chaihata village in Velabari Union, and the main road of New Sonatala village; the carpeting has come off, leaving numerous large potholes. Once accessible to all types of vehicles, these roads have now become unfit for use.
Local residents stated that when drum trucks move along these rural roads, their houses shake due to vibrations. They cannot sleep properly as the loud noise repeatedly wakes them up at night, causing young children to start crying. Battery-run auto-rickshaw drivers Mizanur Rahman, Sohel Mia, Sujanur Rahman, and others said they have to endure constant jolts while driving on the damaged roads all day. This is causing physical problems as well as damaging various parts of their vehicles. Continuous movement of 10-wheel drum trucks is creating intermittent traffic jams on the main roads of Sariakandi municipality and Gabtali municipality. Sometimes the traffic jam becomes prolonged, causing passengers traveling on the Sariakandi–Bogura road to waste a significant amount of time.
According to inquiries, several months ago local influential individuals forcibly sold several crore cubic feet of sand dredged from the Bangali River in Char Domkandi village of Fulbari Union. The then Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shahriar Rahman had sealed it. But for the past few months, those sealed sand stockpiles have again been forcibly sold by local influentials, transported exclusively using 10-wheel drum trucks. It was also learned that in recent days, heavy machinery has been set up in the Kaler Kheyar Ghat area of Domkandi village under Fulbari Union for illegal sand extraction. Sand is being stockpiled and later transported by trucks for sale in various areas.
Locals said rural roads have got completely damaged and become unusable due to the movement of 10-wheel drum trucks. At night, the movement of these heavy trucks prevents them from sleeping. Even when they protest, sand transport continues forcibly using these heavy trucks.
Sariakandi Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sibbir Ahmed said that illegal sand extraction will be stopped after inspection, and if anyone violates law, found in sand transportation, legal action will be taken.
