A series of infrastructure projects executed without feasibility studies or urban planning during the previous regime have turned into massive white elephants for the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC). Built at the cost of crores of Taka, these public structures have yielded zero utility for the residents of Sylhet, with critics attributing them to political whims and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
The most glaring example stands at Court Point (Bandarbazar), the heart of the city. Built during FY 2015-16 at a cost of BDT 1.63 crore at the behest of the late Finance Minister AMA Muhit, the foot overbridge stripped the historic venue of its heritage and aesthetic appeal.
Over the past decade, pedestrian footfall on the bridge has been practically non-existent. Instead, the structure transforms into a haven for vagrants and drug addicts after dark. SCC's repeated attempts to auction off the structure met with a cold response, while the exorbitant demolition costs have prevented the city authority from clearing it independently.
A Pattern of Repeated Waste
Despite the evident failure of the Court Point bridge, SCC proceeded to construct three more similar structures across the city:
Tilagarh: Built in 2021 at BDT 2.04 crore.
Humayun Rashid Chottor: Built in 2022 at BDT 2.75 crore.
SUST Front (Sylhet-Sunamganj Highway): Built in 2023 at BDT 3.17 crore.
In total, BDT 9.60 crore was squandered across these four locations. Today, all four foot overbridges remain entirely deserted and crumbling due to neglect.
Addressing the issue, SCC Superintending Engineer Shamsul Islam admitted, "The expected footfall and pedestrian engagement on these foot overbridges never materialized. Regarding the Bandarbazar structure, we floated tenders multiple times for its removal, but could not proceed due to the lack of viable bids."
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