The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha authorities are planning to remove Gulshan Youth Club from the Gulshan park as part of a project to reclaim the whole ground and turn it into an open public space.
Rajuk has already started work on the part of the park reclaimed from the now-defunct Wonderland Amusement Park, with an estimated budget of Tk3.45 crore. The proposed park was named Rajuk Central Park.
Sources said, the 7.69-acre park – formerly Gulshan Central Park – had been leased to both the club and owners of the amusement park in 1990, by the then Dhaka City Corporation, with the larger share secured by the former.
Founded in 1977, the 600-member strong Youth Club happens to be the only one of its kind in the vicinity and has been running its activities – sports, cultural, recreational, etc. – on the park since it settled there over two decades ago.
The news of a potential Rajuk takeover, however, generated negative reaction among local people.
Fahim Sadman, a resident of Gulshan, said any attempt to remove the club from its current position would be an unpopular one. “No one really wants the club to be removed from where it is. The club has enormous contributions in the development of the town and its people, especially the younger ones.” Another resident, Saif Islam, nodded in agreement.
In this regard, Rafez Alam Chowdhury, president of the club’s executive committee, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The club is run in line with the guidance of the city corporation. We promote activities that are at once entertaining and conducive to the physical and cognitive devolvement of our youths.”
“So we hope Rajuk will change its plan. If willing, it can even put its representative in the club’s managing committee for its better maintenance.”
Rajuk demolished the amusement park operated by Via Media Limited last year, on the allegation that it was being put to commercial use – which was proscribed in the deal signed during leasing.
The matter was first brought to public notice in 1995 when MA Reja, a local resident, filed a writ petition the High Court seeking its intervention in the use of the site for
commercial purpose. Rajuk asked the Wonderland authorities to remove all illegal structures following a HC order and an Appellate Division rule last year cleared its path to take action against them.
During the same time, Rajuk asked the club to remove its structures also and vacate the park. In response, the managers of the club filed a writ petition with the court and secured a stay order in their favour.
However, Md Nurul Islam, executive engineer of Rajuk, is hopeful they can carry out their plan. “Construction of the open public park has already begun and we are trying to recover the land from the possession of the club.”
“The planned public park will be open to all citizens and have walkways and other facilities.”
Although the park’s construction work was supposed to start in July this year and be finished by June of next year, it had suffered a two month’s delay before it was started in August.