Locals allege that although it was supposed to have a 25-millimeter pitch overlay, only 15 millimeters were applied. They also claim that low-quality bitumen was used.

Not just the road in Haluaghat, the government spends BDT thousands of crore every year on road and infrastructure construction. Due to low-quality work, these roads soon fall into disrepair. Maintenance efforts begin, and new budgets are passed. This cycle continues yearly for road infrastructure projects under the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). The government has increased the budget for maintenance without ensuring sustainable road construction. Over the past decade, the allocation for this sector has more than tripled. According to last fiscal year's accounts, more than one-third of the construction cost is spent on maintaining each kilometer of rural road. Experts have advised the government to focus on sustainable construction to avoid wasting public funds.

According to LGED sources, in the 2022-23 fiscal year, the government spent BDT 25.7265 billion on periodic road maintenance. This budget was used to maintain 6,750 kilometers of road, meaning over BDT 3.8 million was spent per kilometer. In contrast, constructing a new road that is 3.7 meters wide costs BDT 10.6 million per kilometer. Thus, more than one-third of the construction cost is spent on road maintenance, and this occurs within just one or two years. Meanwhile, in neighboring India, the cost of constructing one kilometer of rural road is only 1 lakh 80 thousand rupees, roughly BDT 2 lakh 50 thousand (according to data from India's Ministry of Rural Development).

Generally, a road is expected to last 10-15 years after construction. However, there are complaints that rural roads do not last more than two years. Experts say that low-quality construction is the reason for the excessive maintenance costs. Additionally, repeated projects benefit specific groups, leading to a significant waste of public funds. Nevertheless, the government continues to increase allocations for this sector every year.

Experts believe that construction quality is not sustainable because of the lack of research and development (R&D) in road construction, coupled with political influence and substandard contractors. Dr. Moazzem Hossain, a professor in the Civil Engineering Department at BUET, told Bonik Barta, “Any construction should follow proper regulations for lifecycle analysis. Conducting a 15-year lifecycle analysis and building a robust road may require more initial funding, but it will be sustainable. Conversely, maintenance will be needed every two to three years if a weak road is built, leading to significant budget expenses. We need to analyze the 15-year lifecycle to determine our feasibility.”

An analysis of the Local Government Department's expenditures over the past 10 years shows that in the 2013-14 fiscal year, BDT 7.5488 billion was spent on the periodic maintenance of 6,700 kilometers of road. In the 2014-15 fiscal year, BDT 9.0164 billion was allocated to maintain 6,561 kilometers. In the 2015-16 fiscal year, BDT 10.1085 billion was spent on 6,550 kilometers, and in the 2016-17 fiscal year, BDT 11.4590 billion was spent on 7,087 kilometers of road. The funding allocation and road maintenance also increased in the following fiscal year. In the 2017-18 fiscal year, the government allocated nearly BDT 15.86 billion to repair 9,200 kilometers of road. By the 2022-23 fiscal year, that allocation had reached BDT 28.1521 billion. With this funding, LGED maintained 6,750 kilometers of road. Over the past 10 years, BDT 170.1672 billion has been allocated to this sector. BDT 8.0575 billion was spent on regular maintenance, while the rest was used for periodic road maintenance.

Allegations of corruption have long been associated with nearly all LGED projects. Speaking anonymously, a senior LGED engineer admitted, "The main reason for the poor quality of road construction is political influence and the extortion by powerful local individuals. Work cannot commence without appeasing them. As a result, contractors cannot use quality materials even if they want to. This makes it impossible to maintain the quality of the roads. Our social circumstances compel us to undertake substandard work, leading to damage shortly after construction."

While experts claim that a sustainable road should last 10 to 15 years, the official stated, "Typically, roads come under periodic maintenance after about three years. However, the contractor is responsible for repairs if any issues arise within the first year of construction. After that time, it falls under the department's jurisdiction."

Dr. Moazzem Hossain stated, "There needs to be an increase in general transparency here. It is essential to consider how to improve the quality of contractors while setting aside or excluding political influence. Another point is that with such a significant amount of money being spent, research and development (R&D) should also be conducted. If a project costs 100 Taka, there shouldn't be any issue in spending BDT 1 on R&D. If BDT 170 bln has been spent over the past ten years, at least 1 percent should have been allocated for R&D. It's a crime that such a large sum is being spent without any R&D. Why is the quality that contractors provided 40 years ago still the same? Why is there no improvement? Establishing politically independent contracting firms, ensuring at least 1 percent allocation for R&D, and guaranteeing general transparency will lead to significant improvements."

Officials associated with LGED state that various factors, such as flooding, heavy rainfall, and the movement of heavy vehicles, cause extensive damage to rural roads. This is why cracks and potholes appear shortly after construction or repairs. In a conversation with Mohammad Abdur Rahim, the supervising engineer of LGED's maintenance unit, he explained, "The soil in our country is structurally diverse. Even on major roads, gaps can form in the soil over time, leading to potholes and cracks. Primarily, the geographical diversity, natural environment, and movement of heavy vehicles cause roads to deteriorate quickly."