Residents in Kalabagan area have performed their Eid prayers in the much-talked-about Tetultola playground on the morning of Eid-ul-Fitr.
North Dhanmondi Mosque Committee on behalf of the locals organized the Eid Jamaat at 8am on Tuesday morning. More than a thousand people participated in this congregation.
A large signboard greeting everyone a happy and purposeful Eid-ul-Fitr was hanging in front of the field.
People attending the Eid Jamaat said the Eid congregation was closed for the last two years due to Covid. There would be no congregation this year as well if the police station had been constructed.
After the prayers, Rakib Hossain, a resident of the area, said that the feeling of offering Eid prayers at the playground was different this time. The opportunity to perform Eid prayers seems like a reward.”
Another local Rabid Ibne Khalid told Dhaka Tribune: “This year's Eid is very important as we got this field after a very long movement.”
On April 24, police came under severe criticism after detaining Udichi member Syeda Ratna and her underaged son for protesting the construction work of the police station. They were released after 13 hours.
Syeda Ratna's son also participated in the Eid congregation this morning at Tetultola field. He said: "This is a victory for us. I am happy to perform my Eid prayers here again."
Organizers said they prepared the ground by setting up a temporary shed for the devotees to come and offer prayers at the field.
Another resident Mosharraf Hossain said the congregation has been organized by the city corporation for many years. But this year, the mosque committee has taken the initiative to organize the Eid Jamaat. My children and grandchildren have prayed in this field since their childhood.”
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.
On April 28, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal announced that they had shifted from the plan to build the police station 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 the previous night, ignoring calls from locals, environmentalists, and civil society representatives to protect the field.
