When some one hears the word Itali, he or she pictures the European country enriched with all modern civic facilities at the first. However, another Itali that is located in Shailkupa upazila of Jhenaidah residents are suffering much due to the lack of various necessary civic amenities.
For want of a better road communication system, the much talked about village named Itali is almost detached from other villages and towns in the surrounding areas.
The village Itali is located about nine kilometres from Shailkupa upazila headquarters and 30 kilometres from Jhenaidah district headquarters of Jhenaidah. The people living in the village are amiable and peace loving.
Village Aguniapara is situated to the east of village Itali, Siddi to the south, Debtala of Dignagar union to the north and Hasnavita village of Shailkupa municipal town to the west of the village.
When the Roving Correspondent of The Bangladesh Post had paid a visit to the village to know about the naming history of village Itali, hundreds of people rushed there to tell him about their sufferings.
They complained that the appalling condition of the local road has left the village secluded from other surrounding villages.
91 year old Reazuddin Mandal, 83 year old Joad Ali, 82 year old Bashir Uddin and 68 year old Khaibar Hosssin with agitation said that a total of six rural roads were constructed in the area, while none of them came to any service to the villagers as those roads were not completed.
Finding no other alternative, all 1,200 villagers are forced to stay inside their homes during heavy downpour as only the cattle-driven of buffalo-driven carts can ply on the narrow muddy road of the village then.
Locals said both the culverts constructed by Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in the vicinity were damaged a few years back. As a result the rainwater remains stagnant during the monsoon leaving damaged crops on huge tract of land every year.
Although local youths have been showing proof of their talents in sports and games, there are no play grounds for them in the area, they added. Moreover, important people of different profession including washer man, cobbler, and barber could not settle down in the village which complicated the civic life.
About the unusual name of the village the locals said that their forefathers had informed them that the soil of the village was filled with hard clay tabs like bricks locally known as ‘Eet’. They believe the name Itali might have come from the local word ‘Eet’.
Bank official Mahbub Alam stating the potentials of the village said the students of his village are so meritorious and smart. The female students are worst suffers here. They play significant role in various sports and games as well as in cultural sectors but the delapidated condition of the local road makes their lives miserable.
Dignagar Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Zillur Rahman Tapan when contacted said a number of roads are under construction. Only 1,400 metres of metal road might connect the neglected village with Shailkupa upazila headquarters directly. It will ease the long sufferings of the locals.