Though the Russel Shishutosh Angan, a newly built children’s park in the capital’s Dhanmondi lake area, is yet to open for public, the park has already become sanctuary for antisocial activities.
After completing the project in April this year, the 16 Engineering Construction Battalion under Bangladesh Army has handed over the project to the Dhaka South City Corporation in June.
Residents of Dhanmondi and Kalabagan areas alleged that antisocial activities started in the park after the dusk in absence of proper maintenance and monitoring of the city corporation.
Jubayer Hossain, a resident of Kalabagan area, said: “Apart from many drug addicts, sex workers come to the park at night which is ruining environment of neighbouring residential areas.”
Rezanul Chowdhury, a resident of Dhanmandi, echoed same view. He said: “When locals with their children try to enter the park, a security guard obstructs them.
“Citing city corporation, the guard said there was no permission from the park authority for letting locals enter the park.”
Expressing annoyance, he said the guard did not say anything when drug addicts, sex workers and muggers entered the park.
During a visit to the park yesterday afternoon, the Dhaka Tribune correspondent found that a man was sleeping in a room adjacent to the main entrance of the park where a group of youth were smoking marijuana. When the correspondent took an attempt to take a photo, they left the scene immediately.
Asked about the present status of the park, Chief Executive Officer of the DSCC Mohammad Ansar Ali Khan said: “We are planning to handover the park to a private company for maintenance.”
About the opening of the park, he said: “The park is to be opened for public by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina soon.”
In 2011, the government took a development project covering approximately 39.2 hectares of land of the lake area from Dhanmondi Road 32 to Road 6 in order to give a facelift to the area and make it more attractive to a wider range of city dwellers.
Officials of the respective army engineering core, said under the beautification project involving Tk245.3m they had set up an orchid garden and planted almost 50,000 trees along Dhanmondi lake area.
The project also includes construction of a two-kilometre walkway, one and half kilometre surface drain, a footbridge on Dhanomndi Road 8, installation of 10 drinking water fountains and construction of four public toilets.
Of the total expenditure, about 90% of the fund came from the Local Government Division while the Dhaka South City Corporation provided rest of the amount.
The project was given to the 16 Engineering Construction Battalion under the Special Works Organisation of the Bangladesh Army and Bhitti Sthapati Brindo worked as consultant of the project.