A newly built drain in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar, constructed at a cost of about 3.5 million taka under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), collapsed before its inauguration. The 240-foot-long structure tilted and was partially damaged after only 30 minutes of rainfall. Locals alleged that poor-quality bricks, cement, and sand were used, and that the walls were built without reinforcement rods, leading to the collapse. The project was implemented by Hasan Enterprise, owned by Shahab Uddin Chowdhury.

Residents questioned how such irregularities occurred despite RHD supervision. Local businessmen said the use of substandard materials caused public money to be wasted and demanded an investigation and accountability. When contacted, the contractor disconnected the call, citing busyness. RHD’s sub-divisional engineer Mostafa Munsi stated that the work was still ongoing and that rainwater pressure caused a slight tilt. He added that the contractor had been instructed to repair the damaged section at their own expense.

The incident has raised concerns about construction quality and monitoring in government-funded infrastructure projects in the region.