Children were seen playing on the Tetultola playground in Dhaka’s Kalabagan area on Friday a day after the authorities decided to scrap their plan to build a police station in the face of massive protests.
Locals were seen gathering at one corner of the ground discussing the holding of Eid-ul-Fitr congregation.
Magrib, a youth living in the area, said that he along with other local people say their Eid prayers on the ground every year.
He pointed to a mimbar, a short flight of steps used as a platform during prayers, and said that it was there for years.
Kamruzzaman, another local, told Bangla Tribune that they were preparing for the Eid congregation though the ownership of the once-abandoned ground had been transferred to the police.
School-goer Russel was seen ecstatic while playing with his friends on the ground. He said that he used to play on the ground and was happy that he would not have to find another field to play.
Also Read - Govt decides against constructing police station at Tetultola playground
On Thursday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan announced that they had binned the plan to build the permanent building of Kalabagan police station on Tetultola playground after receiving instructions from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The police would still have ownership of the ground, he added.
Police constructed walls around the field on Wednesday night, ignoring calls from locals, environmentalists, and civil society representatives to protect the field.
On Sunday, police came under severe criticism after detaining Udichi member Syeda Ratna and her underaged son for protesting the construction work. They were released after 13 hours.
