Police are constructing the permanent building for the Kalabagan police station on the Tetultola playground as per the law, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) claimed on Tuesday in response to protests by locals and civil society representatives.
“The DMP is not building the station illegally on anyone’s land,” said Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Md Faruk Hossain in a media statement on Tuesday.
It said that the issue of an alternative location for the playground is not under the DMP’s jurisdiction and that the land was acquired for the police station in public interest.
“The Kalabagan field is located a little ahead of the Tetultola playground and children can play there,” said the statement.
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It said that the Home Ministry cleared the procurement of the 0.20-acre land for the police station, marked as an urban residential zone.
“Moreover, Rajuk, the Urban Development Directorate and the Department of Environment also provided No Objection Certificates (NOCs).”
On Monday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that he had discussed the matter with the Dhaka South City Corporation mayor so that children could find an alternative place for a playground.
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He said that the matter would be resolved after discussions with stakeholders.
The minister said that the plan to construct a permanent building for the Kalabagan police station had been pending for many years. “The police station now operates from a rented building.”
Following his remarks, the protesters issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding that the construction work be stopped immediately. However, police members have been continuing their work since Saturday.
On Sunday, police detained Udichi member Syeda Ratna and her son for protesting the construction work. They were released after nearly 13 hours on a bond that there would be no further protest.
The residents of Ward No 17 have been using the open space for nearly 50 years as an Eidgah, for bathing corpses and as a hub for social and cultural festivals. It is the only playground for children in the area.
The DMP on Tuesday said that the local MP had written to the home minister for the construction of the Kalabagan police station on the Tetultola ground, adding that the deputy commissioner of Dhaka had sent the feasibility report along with the recommendation of acquisition to the Land Ministry.
“The central land allocation committee of the government unanimously decided to acquire the land for Kalabagan police station.
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“The deputy commissioner sent an estimate of Tk27.54 crore as compensation for the land which has been paid by the Home Ministry,” the statement said.
On January 31 last year, the deputy commissioner’s office handed over the possession of the land to the DMP.
The gazette notification regarding the handing over of the land possession was published on February 17 while the naming of the land was completed on March 27.
During the protests on Monday, environmentalist Syeda Rizwana Hasan announced a five-point charter of demands, asking DSCC and Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha (Rajuk) to sit with the locals to resolve the issue, and arrange the Eid congregation this year.
“We will help the police find a suitable place for the police station,” she said, while asking the police members on the field to join the movement.
She also demanded that the authorities stop harassing the locals for opposing the construction. “It’s the job of the police to safeguard the people from any threat, but instead they’re threatening the people.”
Architect Iqbal Habib said that the home minister had assured that the police station would be shifted soon. He warned against continuing the construction work during the Eid holidays.
