At least 2,000km of the road networks in 12 upazilas of Sunamganj district have been badly damaged due to the recent flooding.

Most of the roads under the jurisdiction of Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) have suffered damage. Walking on the roads has become difficult, let alone riding on motorcycles and three-wheelers.

According to Joynal Mia, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, the Sunamganj-Doara-Chatok road is so submerged in floodwater that it looks like a canal. The only way to go through this road now is by boat.

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Besides, bitumen and stones used in Daukakhali-Brahmangaon-Ambari road have been washed away by floodwater. No one can tell there used to be a road in this area by looking at it now.

“The condition of the Sunamganj-Sachna-Jamalganj road is really bad. There are a lot of big potholes on the road and stones are scattered all over the place, making journey through the road very risky,” said Humayun Kabir, a local.

Jagannath Ray, a motorcycle owner, said that although it takes only 40 minutes to go from Sachnabazar to Sunamganj by road, it is now taking almost two hours to make the same journey.

The conditions of the Sunamganj-Dirai-Shalla road and Bishwambharpur-Radhanagar-Chalbandh road are also the same, with large potholes everywhere and most parts inundated by floodwater.

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Executive Engineer of Sunamganj RHD Ashraful Islam said that around 184km of roads between the district’s Sadar and other upazilas have become unfit to use.

“Approach roads of 30 bridges and culverts have been damaged. The total loss amounts to more than Tk 300 crore,” said Ashraful.

According to Mahbubur Rahman, Executive Engineer of Sunamganj LGED, around 2,000km of road networks in the district have been affected by the recent flooding.

“A total of 120 bridges and culverts have been damaged. The total loss exceeds Tk 1,500 crore,” said Mahbubur.