The reopening of Osmani Udyan after nearly nine years of delays is certainly a positive for the capital.
With that said, that the cost escalated from Tk54-58 crore to an eye-watering Tk147 crore once again lays bare just how reckless we continue to be with public spending - funds that could have gone to countless other areas of need for this country.
With that said, a space such as this is a long-overdue development for Dhaka’s urban landscape. For a capital routinely ranked among the world’s least livable cities, the revival of a 23-acre open space is crucial.
Third spaces - parks, plazas, and public grounds - should never be seen as urban luxuries but rather as fundamental necessities for public health, mental well-being, and social cohesion, especially in a suffocating metropolis such as ours.
However, we do question the nature of this makeover and what was prioritized during planning. In stripping away mature shade trees and paving over natural soil to build expansive concrete walkways and structures, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has compromised the park’s primary identity as a natural green refuge.
Replacing rich, cooling canopy trees with hard surfaces exacerbates the urban heat island effect rather than mitigating it. A park redevelopment project that reduces actual foliage in a city starved of greenery represents a fundamental misinterpretation of ecological design. Modernization should enhance natural ecosystems, not pave over them.
We need the authorities concerned to ensure that Osmani Udyan serves its true purpose. For that, the first order ought to be an urban afforestation drive within the park, planting native, shade-giving trees to restore its lost canopy. Furthermore, maintenance standards must be strictly enforced so that entry fees translate directly into a safe, pristine environment for all.
Dhaka desperately needs its third spaces, but they must remain genuinely green, maintained, and accessible to the people who need them most.