Kushtia, Aug. 4 -- For nearly eight to ten months every year, crossing a barely 20 metres stretch of road becomes an ordeal for thousands of people in Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia.

Submerged under knee-deep water for most of the year, the road beneath a British-era railway tunnel in Hatisako area has become a symbol of chronic neglect, disrupting daily life for nearly 100,000 residents of Koya and Nandalalpur unions.

What was once a vital transport link has gradually turned into a bottleneck, with poor drainage and unplanned land filling trapping rainwater for months at a time.

A Daily Struggle

Every monsoon, the road disappears beneath stagnant water. Schoolchildren roll up their uniforms and carry their bags over their heads. Offic...