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THE 'Jaldhaka Sartho Sangrokhhon committee' organised a road blockade programme at four points on Thursday to press home their demand to repair the 88-kilometre long road that passes through three northern districts.
   Of the total length of the road passing through Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Rangpur, its condition at many points on its 58-kilometre stretch is simply deplorable.
   It has suffered breaches at numerous points and developed cracks, potholes and many other defects creating obstacles in the smooth movement of all kinds of vehicles and exposing them to accident.
   Hundreds of trucks carrying goods for export and import through the Burimari Land Port in Lalmonirhat remained stranded during the road blockade programme. The road besieging programme was held at Paglapir, Dalia, Baro Khata and Garagram in these three districts.
   Hundreds of people and members of different trade bodies of these districts took part in the programme spontaneously. After the end of the programme a rally was held at Jaldhaka Bazar.
   Samusuzzaman Samu, convener of the committee and president of the greater Rangpur Exporters and Importers Association, presided over it.
   Among others, Golam Mostafa, principal, Jaldhaka College, addressed the rally.
   Speakers urged the government to allocate adequate fund for repairing the road immediately.
   Samu held out the threat of all stopping activities of the Burimari land port and Teesta barrage if the government failed to start repair work of the road falling in the three districts.
   The road is mainly used for carrying various imported goods from India, Bhutan and Nepal to different parts of the country through Burimari land port.
   This road is plays a very important role for exporting Bangadeshi goods to the neighbouring countries.
   The government earns a revenue of Tk 100 crore annually from this land port. The Teesta Barrage authorities also collect Tk 40 to 50 lakh as toll from vehicles using the road.
   Of the 88-kilometre long road, 58-kilometer belongs to Bangladesh Water Development Board and 30-kiolmeter to the Roads and Highways Department.
   The condition of road under the BWDB is in a very sorry state almost everywhere.
   The road has the capacity to carry vehicles with maximum load of 10 tonnes each.
   But after commissioning of the Teesta Barrage, vehicles carrying load of 20 to 25 tonnes each started plying on this road. Nearly 200 to 250 heavy trucks use this road everyday for transporting export and import goods.
   Our Rangpur correspondent adds: The members of the Jaldhaka Sartho Sangrokhhon Committee on Thursday observed token hunger strike and held a rally at Paglapir on the Rangpur-Dinajpur Highway under sadar upazila demanding the reconstruction of The Paglapir-Dalia (Teesta Barrage) road connecting the Burimari land port with the capital.
   Defying heavy rain, a large number of people took part in the token hunger strike and staged demonstration to press home their demand defying heavy rain.
   Earlier on May 8, the committee submitted a memorandum to the prime minister explaining the significance of the road and calling for repairing it immediately.
   When contacted, BWDB sources said they have no fund to undertake the repair of the road. The Roads and Highways Department was approached to take over the road, but it declined, sources added.
   The reconstruction of this important was also the election pledge of Mizanur Rahman, a BNP lawmaker from Jaldhaka in Nilphamari. Though he was elected MP twice from this constituency, the road still remains dilapidated.
   When contacted, he said a Tk 38-crore proposal for the reconstruction of the road was awaiting the approval of the Planning Commission.