Kuakata 'Marine Drive' collapses before opening

A newly built road in Kuakata, modeled after the Marine Drive, has partially collapsed due to tidal surges just before its scheduled inauguration.

The 2-kilometre stretch, costing around Tk 4.86 crore, began to cave in at around 10am on Wednesday due the high tides.

Multiple sections between Zero Point and the eastern end of the road caved in, submerging several nearby establishments, including a police box, Sardar Market and a street food hub known as Fuchka Market.

Tourist police and local volunteers evacuated tourists to safer areas using loudspeakers.

Locals blame poor construction quality and lack of oversight for the damage. Concerns are rising that without immediate intervention, the entire project might be lost.

“Low-grade materials were used, and there was no proper supervision during the work,” one resident alleged.

Local resident Abul Bashar warned, “The monsoon is approaching, and the sea will only become more ferocious. The damage could escalate if nothing is done soon.”

The road was part of a Kuakata Municipality project initiated in 2024 to boost tourism and protect the scenic coastline. Despite the high budget, complaints regarding construction quality have surfaced from the beginning.

Despite repeated attempts over mobile phone Kuakata Municipality Administrator Yaseen Sadee could not be reached.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department had earlier warned of tidal surges of 2 to 4 feet due to a deep depression crossing the Bay of Bengal.

Four coastal districts, including Patuakhali, were placed under local alert level three.

Assistant Superintendent of Tourist Police Habibur Rahman said, “We’re relocating people to prevent accidents during this adverse weather.”

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Robiul Islam said after the appointment of the administrator in the municipality, the remaining bill for the road has not been paid.

Compensation will be realised for the damage and necessary measures will be taken, he said.

Moreover, embankments in 11 points across four upazilas in Patuakhali have broken, flooding low-lying areas and affecting over 20,000 people.

More than 100 fish farms have also been inundated, causing heavy losses.