Residents Struggle as Shiyaldanga Road Remains Impassable

On Monday afternoon, Tanveer Ahmed of Shiyaldanga Road was spotted dragging a suitcase and a heavy bag back to his home on foot. With the road too broken for vehicles, he had no option but to walk.

“I have to carry these bags for nearly 10 minutes because no rickshaw or car can pass through this road,” said Tanveer, who had just returned from his hometown in Rajshahi.

The 2.5 km stretch linking Kawlabazar and Dakkhin Khan Bazar through Shiyaldanga Road has been in terrible shape for months. The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) began digging the road to lay storm-water drainage pipes, but the construction has left it nearly unusable.

Locals said that work along the two-kilometre section between Dakkhin Khan Bazar and Northern University has dragged on for nearly two years. While pipes have already been laid, only a fraction of the road has been repaired with carpeting.

The other part—from Sheyalbari Road to Kawlabazar—was dug up four months ago, leaving residents to walk through a muddy and uneven surface. Vehicles can no longer move through this stretch, according to residents.

The situation has been especially difficult for students.

“It now takes me 20 minutes just to reach university on foot from Kawlabazar, and the rickshaw fare has tripled—from Tk 20 to Tk 60—since the digging started,” said Anamika Rani Roy, a Textile Engineering student at Northern University. “On rainy days the mud makes the road so slippery it feels dangerous.”

Two pharmacy students, Israt Jahan and Taiyaba Zannat, who travel from Mirpur-13 and Gazipur, shared that their daily journey has become exhausting. “After the bus ride, we have to take a rickshaw and then walk another 15 minutes. What once cost Tk 30 now costs around Tk 120 because of detours,” one of them explained.

The disruption has affected everyone—from schoolchildren to small business owners.

Noor Nahar Mim, a fourth-grade student of Khilkhet Kawla Government Primary School, said she struggles most during rain. “It usually takes 10 minutes to get home, but when the road is muddy, it’s very hard,” she said.

Md Russel, a local tailor, said his earnings have dropped sharply. “I’ve lost nearly half my income since the digging started. Customers don’t come anymore, and vehicles can’t reach my shop. I haven’t been able to pay my rent for two months.”

House caretakers also face problems. Taslima Akhtar, caretaker of a building on Shiyaldanga Road, said tenants hesitate to move in. “People can’t even bring furniture through this road. Earlier, our garage had nearly ten cars. Now there are none—owners are forced to park elsewhere, paying Tk 2,000–3,000 monthly. The road often goes under ankle- or knee-deep water. Instead of solving problems, the drainage work has created more suffering.”

When contacted, DNCC Administrator Mohammad Azaz admitted there were delays. He explained that resistance from some residents has slowed progress. “Many people are unwilling to vacate illegally occupied portions of the road, which prevents widening. Still, we are trying to complete the work as soon as possible,” he said.