Patuakhali Infrastructure Stalled as Main Contractor Flees

Infrastructure development in Patuakhali district has been severely disrupted, with the construction of 55 bridges and seven roads stalled for 22 months. The projects, valued at £76.57 million (Tk 76.57 crore), have ground to a halt following the political transition of 2024 and the subsequent flight of the primary contractor. This situation has left the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) facing significant complications in executing the public works.

Financial Allocations and Project Scopes

According to official LGED records, the contracts were split into 22 packages spanning the financial years 2021–22, 2022–23, and 2023–24. These initiatives were funded through multiple development schemes, including the Barisal Division Important Upazila and Union Road Widening and Strengthening Project (BDIRWSP), the Iron Bridge Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Project (IBRP) in Southern Bangladesh, the Upazila Town Masterplan Formulation and Basic Infrastructure Development Project (UTMIDP), and the Under-100m Bridge Construction Project on Upazila, Union, and Village Roads (UHBP).

The primary contract was awarded to Ifti-ETCL Private Limited, a firm owned by Mohiuddin Maharaj, the former Member of Parliament for the Pirojpur-2 constituency and Joint General Secretary of the district Awami League. Following the fall of the Awami League administration on 5 August 2024, Maharaj left the country. On 13 August 2024, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) froze the bank accounts belonging to Maharaj and his firm, causing immediate cash-flow issues that forced local sub-contractors to halt operations.

A detailed breakdown of the allocations and project distributions across various upazilas is provided in the table below:

Physical Progress and Contractual Stalemate

Prior to the suspension of work, the seven road development projects had reached an average physical progress rate of 56 per cent. Within these packages, individual progress varied significantly, with the most advanced road reaching 90 per cent completion, while the least advanced stood at 25 per cent. The remaining roadworks fluctuated between 40 and 60 per cent completion.

The bridge construction projects achieved a higher average progress rate of 77 per cent. In several instances, the primary bridge structures were entirely completed, though the minimum progress recorded at any single site was 60 per cent in Galachipa. The remaining bridge projects sat between 65 and 85 per cent completion. Despite the completed superstructures in Kalapara, Galachipa, Sadr, and Rangabali upazilas, the lack of approach roads renders these bridges entirely unusable.

Md. Hossen Ali Mir, the Executive Engineer for LGED in Patuakhali, told  our representative that the sub-contractors suspended work due to billing complications following the freezing of the main contractor’s accounts. Some sub-contractors have since filed lawsuits in court. Because of this ongoing litigation, the LGED cannot legally terminate the contract with Ifti-ETCL Private Limited or reassign the incomplete work. The matter has been formally communicated to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives and higher authorities, and further action awaits judicial or ministerial directives.

Localised Public Disruptions

The suspension of the projects has created hazardous conditions for local residents. In many areas, roads are left with exposed brick chips or open excavations intended for widening. Rainfall during late April and May has filled these trenches, resulting in waterlogging, rendering the roads impassable for vehicles and dangerous for pedestrians.

In the Mirachbunia Union of Sadr Upazila, a 30-metre iron bridge over the Lipaighari-adjacent canal has its superstructure completed, but lacks the necessary approach roads. Abdul Jabbar Mridha, a local resident, confirmed to our representative that no work has taken place since July 2024, leaving the community isolated from normal vehicular transport. Meanwhile, local sub-contractor Abul Kaalam Azad, who is managing six to seven of the packages, stated that contact with the primary firm has been lost, and the resumption of work depends entirely on resolving the current legal deadlock.