The Rajbari Municipality Children’s Park has remained in a sorry state for a long time due to lack of proper maintenance and repair.
With its lost greenery, a derelict building and water treatment plant, children’s games items, the park no longer draws local children to it.
The recreation ground has now given way to a section of unscrupulous locals who graze cattle on the grass inside the park as if it is a virtual pasture.
Children no longer come to play but young boys and girls can be seen gossiping under the water tank to spend time.
An inhabitant Ali Hossain of the municipality said since the park came into being, children frequented the place accompanied by their parents.
But now the parkland has lost its grandeur, added Ali.
In absence of any appointed security or caretaker, burglars are out to steal equipment from the children’s park.
Meanwhile, toys for children have already disappeared while the toy-train ride – one of the main attractions for children – no longer works.
The municipal inhabitants are grieved over the sorry state of the parks, and blame the carelessness of the municipal authorities for the current dilapidated state.
“My daughter used to go to play in the park, but now she avoids it due to its shabby condition and presence of naughty boys,” said Prof Ayub Ali of Rajbari Adarsho Mohila College.
The children’s park was built by Rajbari Municipal authority in 1996 over one acre of land during the tenure of its chairman Ali Newaz Mahmood Khaium.
In 2011, the newly elected Mayor Md Tofazzel Hossain of Rajbari Municipality added new attractive items to the park including the Toy Train ride.
Trees worth over Tk1m, were cut down from the water treatment plant areas, by directives of the Mayor according to allegations from the Department of Public Health.
It was also alleged that the trees were sold outside without any proper tender or permission of the forest department.
However, local Mayor Tofazzel Hossain has recently incorporated merry-go-round, mini-train, rail station, platform and other equipment for children’s games into the park spending over Tk5m according to the municipality office.
Contacted, Executive Engineer Abdur Razzaque of Rajbari Municipality said: “We have sent a proposal to LGRD ministry for a separate park for school children, but are yet to get any response till now.”
