CUMILLA, Sept 23: A market has been set up illegally in front of the Nimsar Junab Ali College under Burichang upazila of the district.
As a result, traffic congestion has become a regular feature in the area as the market occupies a large portion of the highway.
College teachers and students have been suffering due to traffic snarl for the last ten years.
According to college sources, social activist Zunab Ali founded the college in 1972 at Nimsar Bazaar on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. The frontal land of the college is owned by the road and highway department. However, an influential group occupied the frontal portion of the open space of college and illegally set up the vegetable market.
This is causing frequent traffic congestion on the highway. Different modes of vehicles are kept all daylong at college gate.
Nimsar Junab Ali College Principal Mohammad Mamun Mia Majumder said the atmosphere of the college is deteriorating for the market. Students cannot concentrate on their study for noise and bad odour.
"We have appealed to the deputy commissioner, upazila executive officer and executive engineer of the Roads and Highways Department. But no solution has been found to solve this problem", he further said.
Some students said, "We face different problems in the area. Most of the female students have been facing unpleasant situation. Garbage has been piled up in the college area that creates air pollution."
Burichong upazila executive officer Imrul Hasan said the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) owns the land. The RHD should take necessary steps in this connection for the sake of 2,500 students.
Cumilla RHD Executive Engineer Dr Md Ahad Ullah said the land is not for setting up a market. "We have already removed a portion of the market which occupied the highway. The remaining part will be removed shortly."
