Ctg City Corp seeks Tk500cr for road repairs, safety measures

The Chattogram City Corporation has requested a special allocation of around Tk500 crore to repair 142km of roads across 388 streets damaged during the current monsoon season and to install safety barriers along canals and drains, where accidents happen frequently.

The corporation's Chief Executive Officer, Sheikh Muhammad Touhidul Islam, told TBS, "The roads are in terrible condition. Heavy vehicles use them, and safety barriers are needed at canal and drain openings. We have requested funds to carry out this work."

On 12 August, Mayor Shahadat Hossain wrote to the Local Government Division secretary, saying that the corporation lacks funds for road repairs and safety measures, but no response has been received yet. Earlier, the corporation's requests for funding for waterlogging control and waste management equipment were also rejected, and the mayor has raised these issues publicly.

The letter reported that record monsoon rainfall has severely damaged key roads, bridges, and culverts. As a major commercial and port city, Chattogram's roads, heavily used by lorries, trucks, and service vehicles, now have large potholes and waterlogging, disrupting travel, the supply of essential goods, medical services, and overall economic activity.

The letter also highlighted the lack of adequate safety barriers along canals and drains, which has increased accident risks, citing several recent incidents. Urgent repairs to roads, bridges, and culverts, along with the installation of safety barriers, require a fund of nearly Tk500 crore. The corporation's limited financial capacity makes rapid action impossible, making special funding essential.

According to the corporation's data, repairing 142km of roads will cost Tk426.84 crore, fixing 18,663 square metres of drain slabs will need Tk9.33 crore, and installing safety barriers along 21km of canals and drains will require Tk21.29 crore. 

Recent road damage was recorded as 100km in 2024, 50km in 2023, 100km in 2022, and 36km in 2021, out of the city's total 1,442km of roads.

Over the past decade, at least six road repair and development projects have been undertaken, five of which are complete. During this period, Tk4,086.77 crore has been spent on roads, footpaths, and related infrastructure using both project funds and the city corporation's own resources. 

The highest spending was Tk750 crore in 2019–20, followed by Tk725 crore in 2023–24. Additionally, Tk2,500 crore has been allocated for further road development, and Tk267 crore is being spent on ongoing repairs under the Covid-19 response and recovery project, with Tk90 crore already utilised.

Urban planner Subhash Barua criticised the quality of road repair and maintenance in Chattogram, saying, "Projects do not use methods suited to local temperature and rainfall, causing roads to deteriorate quickly. Taxpayers' money benefits contractors and engineers rather than lasting infrastructure, and with Tk4,000 crore, the city's entire road network could be overhauled."

During a site visit on 21 August, roads in Chattogram's EPZ area, crucial for trade and industry, were found waterlogged and damaged. Construction of a ramp for the elevated expressway is ongoing. Heavy vehicles like cargo lorries and trucks are forced to drive along the dry edges to avoid deep potholes, causing traffic congestion and a high risk of accidents, which have previously led to fatalities.

In the past six years, at least 16 people have died after falling into unprotected canals and drains—three in 2025, three in 2024, three in 2023, five in 2021, and two in 2020. These canals remain exposed, mainly due to waterlogging project work, and fill with water during monsoon rains, creating deadly hazards. 

Canal repair, expansion, and excavation fall under the Chattogram Development Authority, and the project lacks a budget for safety barriers, prompting the city corporation to prepare a new budget and request separate funding.