The Dhaka district unit of Muktijoddha Sangsad has started preparations for a month-long fair at Anwar Park in the capital’s Farmgate allegedly without any permission from the authority.
The organisation of freedom fighters have already started building bamboo structures grabbing more than half of the park’s area, although Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), the authority in charge of the park, claims that no permission has been taken.
When asked why they had started erecting bamboo structures without permission, the fair organising committee said they were discussing the issue regarding permission with the authorities.
“We will get it [permission] today [Wednesday],” Amir Hossain Mollah, commander of Dhaka District Unit Muktijoddha Sangsad, told the Dhaka Tribune.
DNCC Chief Estate Officer Md Fashiullah, however, said that were not informed about the fair.
“The fair committee never contacted us for permission. In fact, I have just learnt about it [the fair] from you,” Fashiullah told the Dhaka Tribune.
“A month-long fair would badly hurt the beauty of the park. We will take steps about it,” he said.
He, however, added: “Personally I do not support it [holding fair in a recreational park]. But the higher authority of the city corporation will take decision regarding this.”
A construction worker, preferring to be unnamed, told the Dhaka Tribune that getting permission for such events is not easy and they could not have started the fair on time if they had to wait for permission.
The fair generally begins on Ramadan 4 or 5 and continues till the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr.
The Muktijoddha Sansad has been organising handloom cloth fairs at different locations in the city for a number of years.
In the last two years, it had organised fairs in the Bangla College playground and Rupnagar Kamal Ahmed Majumdar School and College playground in Mirpur.