Tensions flared in Parliament on Sunday as Cumilla-6 BNP MP Monirul Haque Chowdhury sharply criticised Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam for failing to address urgent safety hazards on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, accusing him of repeating the bureaucratic rhetoric of the previous Awami League government.
Speaking under Section 71 on matters of urgent public importance, Monirul Haque Chowdhury called the intersection of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway and Cumilla-Noakhali link road a “death trap.”
He highlighted illegal barricades, the absence of underpasses, and missing service lanes at seven key points, including Tomchom Bridge.
Expressing frustration at the minister’s response, which focused on long-term plans and budgetary constraints, the MP said, “The minister’s reply is the same rhetoric we heard during the Awami League era. Lives are being lost while promises remain unfulfilled.”
He further questioned why Tk1,500 crore had been spent instead of the allocated Tk700 crore, and why promised overpasses from 2014 have yet to materialise.
Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam defended the government, noting inherited project limitations and emphasising cost-effective prioritisation of public works over land acquisition.
He announced plans to upgrade the highway to 10 lanes, with the Paduar Bazar U-loop integrated into a major intersection with five underpasses to alleviate congestion and improve safety.
Addressing immediate concerns, the minister said officials had already been dispatched to implement “visible measures,” though he admitted these would only partially resolve the issues.
Monirul Haque Chowdhury concluded by demanding compensation for families of those killed at the site since 2014, while another MP could be heard shouting approval for his criticism, calling him “Bagher Baccha” (Son of a Tiger).
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