Kumargaon- Badaghat-Airport Road in Sylhet : Land acquisition hurdles slow work

SYLHET, Aug 04 : Implementation of the Kumargaon- Badaghat-Airport Road construction project in Sylhet is facing an unusual delay due to land acquisition hurdles.

According to officials and locals, complexities over land acquisition led to the stalemate delaying timely execution of the project taken up to upgrade the road into a four-lane one.

The deadline for the important project of the region ended in June 2024, but it has been extended up to June 2027, official sources said.

The authorities, meanwhile, had to change the road’s alignment in 2025 while it is feared that the new deadline would also be missed as the project work still remains suspended at Barsala and nearby places.

Given the increasing pressure on the divisional city, the importance of the road that also links the Sylhet-Sunamganj highway got additional attention of the authorities several years ago.

As a diversion of commercial transportation, the 12.5 km road was developed and the plan was taken to upgrade it into a four-lane one to facilitate plying of the stone-laden trucks, tourist transports as well as for the airport-goers.

In line with a new project proposal of 2016, two service lanes were added to the project. Things got a new twist after the 2018 election for expansion of the ‘Kumargaon-Badaghat-Airport Road with a targeted expenditure of Tk7.2763 billion (Tk727.63 crore).

Starting from 4 January 2023, the project was scheduled to be completed by June 2024.

Six km of the project extends up to the Kumargaon bus stand on the Sylhet-Sunamganj road and it stretches through Badaghat up to the Osmani International Airport Road.

Of the 12.780 km of the 4-lane road, 4.3 km is owned by the Roads and Highways Department (R&H), where work on the four-lane is being implemented.

But the R&H has been facing obstacles from locals as the troubled lands are owned by the individuals, officials said. But the land acquisition process is facing trouble as a few land owners could not provide required documents, the sources added.

The 4-lane work is being hampered at Barsala mouja. RCC road work was done in the 4-km area of Temukhi upto new central jail. Construction of drains and dividers is also going on there.

But locals stopped work in the 2-km road stretch from the central jail up to Nilgaon where disputes are there over construction of a culvert.

Locals also stopped RCC work on the 3km stretch from Nilgaon to Baishtila Bazar.

Contacted, Executive Engineer of R& H, Sylhet, Khairul bashar, admitted that trouble arouse due to locals’ obstruction over land acquisition at places.

“However, we brought some changes in the original road alignment,” the official said. Already 7.885 km rigid pavement, two bridges and 24 culverts have been constructed.

Sub-divisional Engineer Md Salahuddin Sohag said, “We are in trouble at Barsala area with some works where sub-base was made a year ago, but we can’t complete the pavement amid the land owners’ obstacle. We are, however, hopeful to complete the work in a year as 72 per cent progress has been achieved already.”

With the development of the road, travel from Sylhet Osmani Airport to Sunamganj, Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts will be easier and traffic congestion in Sylhet city will reduce.

Besides, traffic congestion in Sylhet city will be reduced by constructing alternative roads for trucks and other heavy vehicles plying from Bholaganj stone quarries.

The official said that this road is the main and only alternative route for Sylhet Osmani Airport.

At the same time, Sylhet city is used as a diversion of commercial vehicles to avoid traffic jams. The road starts at Kumargaon, six kilometers from Sylhet-Sunamganj road, passes through Badaghat and joins Osmani Airport Road near the airport. The total length of the road including Badaghat Link Road is 12.60 km.

Trucks carrying stones from Bholaganj travel through Sylhet city but are facing time and losses due to long traffic jams at the Amberkhana intersection in the city centre.

With the road upgraded, the stone-laden trucks will avoid the long traffic jam at Amberkhana and travel through Badaghat, Kumargaon to reach the National Highway N-2. This will reduce traffic congestion and road accidents.

Besides, the Osmani International Airport is connected to Sylhet city by a single two lane connecting road. It needs alternative link as a KPI installation.