Like the past few years, the organisers of the Kutubbagh Darbar Sharif Urs – an annual religious gathering – have taken control over the Farmgate Anwar Park, damaging the premises by erecting temporary bamboo and tin-shed structures as well as limiting people’s movement in and around the grounds.
The adjoining street – one of the busiest in the capital – has also been encroached upon by massive road archways belonging to the Darbar Sharif, slowing down and disrupting traffic movement on the street.
Local residents told the Dhaka Tribune that every year the Urs hampers movement in the public recreational space and causes public nuisance. The event also causes damages to the park grounds, they claimed.
Fazlul Haque, a 64-year-old resident of the nearby Indira Road, said: “Every morning I go to the park for jogging. But the Urs authority has started to build makeshift structures all over the park.”
He also claimed the Urs authority ignores public concerns when it arranges the gathering in the name of religious activity, but the authorities concerned have yet to take any step against it.
Several youngsters from Indira Road also told the Dhaka Tribune that the lack of playgrounds in their neighbourhood meant they only had the free space inside the park to play any sport. For the past two weeks, they have not had the chance to play any game because of the ongoing Urs arrangements, they added.
Shahed Haque, a student of the nearby Tejgaon College, also echoed similar sentiments, saying: “After the end of our classes, we visit the park. But the Kutubbagh Urs has occupied the park. We do not understand why the authorities concerned give permission to arrange the programme in the public space.”
The Public Works Department (PWD) is the authority in charge of the Farmgate Anwar Park. But when the Dhaka Tribune contacted the acting chief of PWD, Additional Chief Engineer Khurshid Alam, he refused to comment on the issue of granting permission to the Darbar Sharif.
However, the Kutubbagh Darbar Sharif authorities claimed that they have secured permission from the park authority before starting arrangment for the Urs.
Seeking anonymity, a khadem (custodian) of the Darbar Sharif told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have made the structures of Urs to store foods and sacrificial cattle which will be given by murids (followers).”
Last year, the Urs authorities secured official permission for the event, while the PWD claimed that they had granted permission at the request of influential ruling party members.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune last year, PWD Chief Engineer Md Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan had claimed that they would file a case if the park was damaged because of the Urs structures. But no case was filed despite damages to the grounds.