The authorities have decided to scrap their plan to build a police station at Tetultola playground in Dhaka’s Kalabagan after receiving instructions from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The police would still have ownership of the ground, but no building would be constructed there, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan briefed the media on the issue following a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
He said: “We applied for the place in 2017. Now, we have seen that there is no place as a playground in that area. The Prime Minister also suggested that since there was no recreational place in the area, the police land should be left as it is. There should be no construction.”
The playground would be open to everyone but it would be under the jurisdiction of Kalabagan police, the home minister added.
However, in response to a question on whether the walls built around the ground would be removed, the authorities said it would be decided after Eid.
The home minister downplayed the situation by saying the wall was not very high. As the place belonged to the police, they would handle its further maintenance.
When asked where the Kalabagan police station would be located now, he said: “We will talk about it in future. Nothing is happening there right now.”
Police constructed walls around Tetultola field on Wednesday night, ignoring locals, environmentalists, and civil society representatives’ calls to protect the field.
According to a police officer, they started the construction work of the police station in compliance with all the laws. But they will do whatever the government decides now.
Locals overjoyed
Meanwhile, protesters and activists along with local residents were jubilant after learning of the development.
There was a pre-scheduled press conference by the protesters at midday on Thursday to press home their demands.
Everyone was celebrating their victory. Kids were seen singing and dancing at the field in the afternoon after regaining their playground.
“After we came to the field, the good news came. There will be no construction on the field,” said architect Iqbal Habib.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), told Dhaka Tribune: “I am happy because a logical demand has been fulfilled. Now we need to ensure that the decision is officially recorded and that there are some funds for maintenance of the field. The wall needs to be removed and the field needs to be redesigned to make it more visitor friendly.”
Rakib Hossain, a resident of the area, said during the night, walls were built around the north side of the Tentultala field. Only a small space from one side is left now.
Mokbul Hossain, another resident, said: “For the last 30 years, I have performed every Eid prayer in this field. I can do it again; it feels peaceful to think about it.”
However, after Eid, the agitators want a specific directive about the ground. They also announced plans for a reunion at this ground after Eid.
Urban planner and architect Mobasher Hossain assured of all architectural cooperation from the Institute of Architects for the development of the field.
Locals have been protesting over the building of the police station in a field which has been used as a playground, Eidgah, and a recreational ground for many years.
The movement gained pace on Sunday when one of the protesters, Syeda Ratna, and her teenage son were detained at Kalabagan police station for 13 hours.
Their detention sparked outrage from different quarters, who called it unconstitutional.
Reacting to the announcement through the Home Minister, Syeda Ratna, one of the organizers of the Tentultala Field Protection Movement, told Dhaka Tribune: “I had faith. Love you, Bubu (prime minister). Thank you.”
“I've tried a lot to get our point across to the prime minister. Our words have finally reached her,” she said.
Reportedly, a former engineer of Dhaka Improvement Trust (DIT) used to own this land. Since he left the country, it was recorded as an abandoned property through the then president's order after the Liberation War. It then came under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
The government had allotted a police station in this vacant land registered as government khas land. And since then, there has been a demand to keep the place empty for a playground.