Bangladesh, July 5 -- State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam has denied any "irregularities" in the construction of a road in Gazipur that partially collapsed just months after being built at a cost of nearly Tk 90 million.

The state minister visited the damaged section along the Suti River in Rajabari Union of Sreepur Upazila on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters after the inspection, he said: "There were no irregularities in the construction of this road."

He said the alignment of the road had been shifted slightly towards a canal out of respect for a nearby graveyard, leaving the soil beneath that section weaker.

He also said local residents had used one side of the road to dry paddy during the last harvesting season, for...