Rajapur (Jhalkathi) Correspondent : Barisal-Khulna, Patharghata Regional Highway, Jhalkathi Rajapur Upazila, Baghari Banshtala, Medical Junction, Samboy Club, Galua, Mollar Hat, Naikathi, Jomaddar Bari Bridge, Lebubunia, Amtala and Putiakhali roads permanently covering more than half of the roads. The timber (trees and stumps) business has become booming. By leaving these trees and tree stumps on the side of the road, traffic jams are created and there is a risk of accidents every moment. On the other hand, the work of loading and unloading trees and tree stumps takes hours and hours with trucks and curved vans, due to which accidents are increasing and even people’s lives are falling on the roads.
Taking up more than half of the road space, large trucks and covered vans park everywhere for long periods of time to carry tree stumps and trees. Large trees are also measured along the roadside. While picking up trees and tree stumps in trucks, the movement of cars and people is caused great inconvenience. Pedestrians with children and students and local and long-distance drivers on the busiest roads have to bear the risk of accidents. Residents are angry because of the permanent business of illegally placing trees and tree trunks on the road and leaving big trucks and covered vans causing traffic jams.
Several pedestrians including Momen Khan, Shaheen said that about twenty to twenty five businessmen of Rajapur Upazila are running such business on the regional highway by managing the administration through the syndicate under the umbrella of influential people. They have also demanded to stop this kind of trade by occupying half the space of the regional highway with piles of trees and tree stumps and the trucks used to transport these trees. mWhen asked to know the reason for occupying the busiest regional highway and doing business, Nasir, a tree trader, said, “We are poor people” and eat a little by doing business. Where are you going now? He also admitted that doing such business across the road is illegal. Idris Talukder, another tree trader occupying the road in Lebubunia Bazar area, said that even if the truck unloads the load by occupying more than half of the road, there is no public suffering and through UP members Mamun and Monir, all the tree traders give money to the police station during the annual event. In this regard, Senior Assistant Pulim Superintendent (Rajapur Circle) Md. Masud Rana said, “We have given instructions to those who are doing business by keeping trees on the side of the road, to keep the sidewalk clean and to do their business in their own place, and to unload the truck load when the traffic on the road decreases.
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