Sahana (pseudonym), who was sold into sex work at the age of seven in Narayanganj, ran away in the early 1970s and settled in Suhrawardy Udyan. Now 60 and using a wheelchair, she works as a marijuana peddler. She was married at the park and has a daughter, now married, who occasionally visits the Udyan. “I’ve been rooted to this park for 53 years,” Sahana told Dhaka Tribune.
Another resident, 26-year-old Imran (pseudonym), was born at Suhrawardy Udyan. He lost both parents there and married off his only sister at the park. He reportedly studied briefly at a school in Lalbagh but returned to Suhrawardy Udyan, his birthplace.
These are not isolated cases. Numerous individuals are born, raised, married, and in some cases die at Suhrawardy Udyan. Sahana (pseudonym) said she deliberately kept her daughter away from the park until after her marriage and the birth of her own children, saying she did not want her daughter to endure a life like hers. “I never brought my daughter to this park, not even once. Now, after her marriage and having children, she comes by every now and then,” she said.
For others, however, life at Suhrawardy Udyan is unavoidable. Many children born to marijuanna peddlers start working as flower or water bottle sellers, often eventually moving into marijuanna peddling.
Suhrawardy Udyan’s marijuanna trade ecosystem
The park has a structured hierarchy in its drug trade. Young children or adolescents typically begin as retail marijuanna sellers after leaving flower selling. According to a wholesaler named Naim (pseudonym), there are around 300–350 retail peddlers, selling small portions, such as Tk100 tokens called “Puria” or 12.5–25 grams of marijuanna.
Retailers can progress to wholesale, purchasing from top-tier peddlers and supplying smaller sellers. Currently, the top tier includes 4–5 individuals, such as Tania (pseudonym), Shuvro (pseudonym), and Rafique (pseudonym). Previously, these positions were held by Sahana (pseudonym), Muna (pseudonym), and Sabbir (pseudonym). Top peddlers reportedly recruit children, training them as street-level marijuanna sellers.
Many children turn to selling marijuanna for economic reasons. A student of Dhaka University’s Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Huq Hall reported seeing a 12-year-old boy, Jahid (pseudonym), selling marijuanna in Suhrawardy Udyan. “Bhai, what I was making at the canteen just wasn’t cutting it — and since I’m young, they’d try to pay me even less. But this way, the work is easier and the money is better, so here I am,” the boy told the student.
Other young sellers told Dhaka Tribune: “How will I eat if I stop selling marijuanna?”
Law enforcement efforts and persistent challenges
Following the murder of Dhaka University student and JCD leader Shahriar Alam Shammo on May 13, 2025, criticism mounted over the park’s security. In response, the government implemented initiatives to improve safety. On May 15 last year, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) launched an eviction drive, removing illegal stalls and unauthorized structures.
Drug syndicates, however, quickly returned. Ramna Zone Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam told Dhaka Tribune: “The syndicates that have been operating here for years exploit displaced women of all ages — where they find them, nobody quite knows. It’s like a revolving door — you take down ten, and ten more show up to replace them. When you try to apprehend the women, things get extremely dangerous — they’ll hold a knife to their own throats, and if they have young children with them, they’ll hold the knife to the child’s throat instead.”
In the last two months, around 100 drug dealers were arrested, many sentenced through judicial magistrates or mobile courts. According to Shahbagh police station sources, 73 homeless and drug peddlers were apprehended from Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka University, Shahid Minar, and nearby areas. Despite these measures, the issue persists.
Historical context
Parvez Alam, in his book “Disappearing Public Spheres” (2016), noted that the park has long been a contested public space. Police interventions in 2014 removed several installations, including tea stalls at Chobir Hat, historically popular with young park visitors. “Although the police were unsuccessful in capturing Avijit’s killer, they imposed a curfew after his murder. The curfew slowed public activity, but parts of the park soon became a haven for thugs and drug dealers once more,” Alam wrote.
