A two-storey market building in Kaliganj upazila of Jhenaidah has remained officially unopened for nearly six years after its construction was completed, leaving the government-funded facility largely unprotected and underused.Built at a cost of more than Tk 2 crore, the Haatchandni building at Barobazar was constructed by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). Construction began in 2018 and was completed in 2021.62 shops on the second floor remain unallocatedThe second floor of the building has 62 shops, but several years after construction was completed, the shops have yet to be allocated to traders.Meanwhile, around 80 small traders have been operating from makeshift spaces on the ground floor and adjoining areas.Considering their situation, the market’s leaseholder allows the traders to do business on the ground floor on Tuesdays and Saturdays. However, they have not been given designated shops or permanent spaces for regular business.As a result, the traders have been forced to conduct their businesses in risky and unplanned conditions around the building.Construction workers living upstairsWhile the shops remain unallocated, construction workers of a nearby project have been living on the second floor of the newly built government facility for around five months.Construction materials for the adjoining UKAYR project have also reportedly been kept inside the building.Local residents allege that the prolonged non-use and lack of security have already caused damage to different parts of the facility.Contractor says LGED official was consultedTarikul Islam, assistant engineer responsible for the construction of the adjacent building, said arrangements were made to keep construction materials and accommodate workers on the second floor after discussions with Sabuj Biswas, a sub-assistant engineer working at Kaliganj upazila LGED.Administration promises shop allocationKaliganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rezwana Nahid said she had already received a letter from the LGED regarding the building.“After discussing the matter with the higher authorities, shops will be allocated to the traders as soon as possible,” she said.However, she said she was unaware of how construction materials came to be stored on the second floor of the newly built government facility or how workers came to live there.The prolonged delay in opening and allocating the shops has left the government-funded facility largely unused, while local traders continue to operate from makeshift and potentially risky spaces.