Construction work on the Kalabagan police station at Tetultola playground is continuing in full swing despite Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal’s assurances that the decision on the construction would not be taken until after discussions with all stakeholders.
The home minister had given the assurance on Monday in response to objections to the construction of the police station on the playground from several sectors.
On a visit to the playground at 3:30pm on Tuesday, this correspondent saw construction workers continuing their activities as usual, while a few children were playing cricket in an empty corner.
Environmentalists and human rights activists still await invitations to the discussions on the issue.
In a statement yesterday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said no rules were being broken in the construction of the new police station.
The Kalabagan police station is being set up on land allotted by the government in the public interest and it is not on the field referred to by locals as Tetultola playground. The land was allotted for the police station in compliance with all prevailing laws and regulations of the country, the statement added.
The statement, signed by DMP Media Branch Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Police Mohammad Faruk Hossain, further said that making alternative playground arrangements were not within the jurisdiction of the DMP.
According to a Rajuk survey, the land for construction of the police station is the property of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works on behalf of the government of Bangladesh. Administrative approval for the acquisition of the 0.2 acres of land was given by the Ministry of Home Affairs, DMP said.
The Department of Environment has also given a no-objection to the construction of the new police station.
The land acquisition officer of the Deputy Commissioner's Office handed over possession of the land to the DMP on January 31.
Activists, locals waiting for home minister’s invitation to talks
Nine construction workers were seen at the playground yesterday afternoon. At least 12 policemen were on duty.
Ryhan Jamil, a sixth-grade student, told Dhaka Tribune: “I used to play here every day. I couldn’t get a place today. My father died three days before the police arrived here with their signboard. His janaza took place on this field.”
Nazmul Khan Bappy, another youth, said: “I play cricket at the club level. I have been practising on this field since I was a small child. We are still waiting for the government’s decision, but the construction is continuing in full swing.”
When contacted, several people who have protested the construction of the police station said they were still waiting for an invitation from the home minister for discussions but they were unable to reach him yesterday.
Iqbal Habib, joint secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (Bapa), said: “We are moving peacefully. I am relying on the home minister right now. He said he would make the right decision after discussing the issue with us.”
Human rights activist Khushi Kabir said: “Police have not stopped work on the building yet; they are continuing, and the walls have started coming up. On the one hand, we want to discuss the matter with the government. On the other hand, we ourselves have taken the initiative to decide the next step of the movement in this matter.”
She said activists and environmentalists were set to hold a meeting yesterday evening to decide their next course of action to protect the playground and the outcome would be disclosed later.