A scene straight out of a fairy tale unfolded at Banshkhali Government Girls’ High School in Chattogram. Just a day before District Commissioner (DC) Farida Khanam was scheduled to visit the school on Tuesday (July 29) to inaugurate a “Joyanti Corner” and a sanitary napkin vending machine, the school grounds were muddy and waterlogged.
But overnight, a temporary road magically appeared—reportedly costing around 3 to 4 lakh taka—allowing the DC’s vehicle to reach directly to the stage stairs. The speed and timing of the construction have sparked sharp criticism and debate across Banshkhali.
Locals are sarcastically calling it an act of “administrative magic” and questioning how such a “genie lamp” ended up in the hands of the authorities.
Residents pointed out that ordinary citizens—and even public representatives—struggle for years to get roads built, often to no avail. Yet here, to spare a government official from walking through mud, a road was constructed in a single night. Many believe this was not a permanent solution but a showpiece effort.
Students of the school expressed frustration, saying they had been walking through the muddy field every day without any attention from the authorities.
“We walk through mud daily to attend class. Our shoes get soaked, and we sit through the entire day like that. No one ever cared about our hardship. But for the DC, they built a road overnight. It was shocking,” said one student who wished to remain anonymous.
Another added, “All year we walk through this mess, and nobody notices. But for the DC, a road is built in one night? It feels like a cruel joke on us.”
School Headmaster Monotosh Das clarified that the road was constructed by the local administration, not the school. “Please don’t drag the school into this. The road was made so the DC’s car could enter,” he said.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Jamshedul Alam told the media that the road wasn’t built solely for the DC, but also to facilitate students’ daily movement.
Still, the core question remains: Why did it take a VIP visit to spur overnight development? Officials claimed the road was built under an existing project, but critics argue that true priorities are revealed by how quickly problems are addressed—especially when a top official is involved.
