Railing theft under Ctg flyovers: Authorities indifferent

Thieves have been stealing railings from beneath major flyovers in Chattogram city in broad daylight, yet the responsible authorities appear to be doing very little to monitor or prevent them.

Recent videos and images circulating on social media show groups of young men openly removing railings from beneath the flyovers, with bystanders watching silently and no visible intervention from the authorities. Residents have complained that such thefts are happening in broad daylight, yet no concrete steps are being taken to ensure the area's security.

Civil society groups are blaming the authorities for their inaction. Police, however, claim that six individuals involved in the thefts have been arrested in raids. 

Advocate Akhtar Kabir Chowdhury, general secretary of Citizens for Good Governance (SHUJAN) Chattogram district branch, told The Business Standard, "There is massive negligence from the authorities in these matters. Maintenance is a crucial part of any public infrastructure. For reasons unknown, government agencies remain indifferent. 

"Holding offenders accountable could curb such crimes. Authorities must also inspect scrap shops and discourage the purchase of stolen goods. That would help reduce such incidents."

To ease traffic and improve mobility for residents, the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) constructed four flyovers in the city: a 1 km flyover from Sholokbahar to Bahaddarhat costing Tk147 crore, the 5.2 km four-lane Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Flyover from Muradpur to Lalkhan Bazar at a cost of Tk698 crore, and additional flyovers from Battoli Station to Dhaniyala Para costing Tk58 crore and at Dewanhat costing Tk24 crore.

While the CDA built these flyovers, the CCC is responsible for their maintenance, beautification, and repair. A field visit revealed that no one is currently overseeing the trees, railings, lighting, or billboards under the Bahaddarhat and Akhtaruzzaman flyovers. Railings have been removed from many areas, and most of the remaining trees appear withered and dying, lacking water even during peak monsoon due to their location under the flyovers.

The CCC claims that a private firm was responsible for maintenance and beautification from 2020 until the beginning of this year, when the contract was cancelled. Since then, no new firm has been appointed, rendering these areas largely unprotected.

Panchlaish Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Solaiman told TBS, "We are actively conducting raids to catch the culprits. Just yesterday, we arrested six members of the group involved in these crimes. The law enforcement agencies remain vigilant."

When asked, CCC's Chief Engineer Md Anisur Rahman Sohel told TBS, "We only deal with technical issues. If there is a major problem with the flyovers, we step in. Other matters are handled by a private firm, so you should speak to them."

CCC's forest officer Moinul Hossain Ali Chowdhury said, "We do not directly oversee these matters. A private company called Trade Marks was managing this under a contract, but it was cancelled a few months ago. We are planning to hand over the responsibility to a new company soon."

City planner Abdullah Al Omar of the CCC told TBS, "As we have no current contract with any company, our own gardeners are trying to maintain the area for now. We're considering assigning multiple firms instead of just one. Work is ongoing, and we'll resolve the issue very soon."