Every child and adult needs breathing space, especially in large metropolises like Dhaka. Town planning has gone awry in Dhaka and many of the cities of Bangladesh due to overpopulation, resource constraints, and plain greed. Urban Dhaka has very little of what we call open spaces, parks, and fields. Spaces allocated as playing fields and parks have been encroached by greedy citizens with ulterior motives.
The Dhanmondi playground, sitting squarely next to Mirpur Road and Road 8 of Dhanmondi, has been at the centre of news in Bangladesh for the past few years where this open field for the public had been closed and fenced up by some high and mighty people who had enjoyed the rich rewards of turning a public space into a privately held fiefdom.
That protracted injustice came to an end recently. Luckily, due to the relentless pursuit of a citizens’ action committee and a subsequent writ petition, the judiciary instructed the city corporation to open the gates to the public without further ado. Thanks to the public uproar and appropriate ruling by the judiciary, the keys to the open field have been returned to the public.
Now, even the tokais of Dhaka can breathe the open air and fill their lungs and run the stretch of the Dhanmondi playground like no tomorrow. It is wonderful to see the field alive and kicking once again, with the boisterous sounds of children and adults of different ages. The spark of Dhanmondi playground has reclaimed its old luster and glory. Youngsters gather throughout the day and enjoy nature.
Unfortunately, that bliss has been dented by a plan to construct a concrete structure in the dead centre of the field. The Dhanmondi playground, in spite of being open to the public, has been brutality disfigured. The citizens’ action committees, under the name “Dhanmondi maath rakha andolon,” have been urging the government to step in and bring back the field to its original form with no structure in the middle to tarnish the beauty of the area.
Unfortunately, construction work continues with costs escalating. The field is purely public property, and perhaps managed by the Dhaka City Corporation. Therefore, the need for more public awareness and support to stop this illegal construction has been acute. Why should the government waste funds on an illegal construction that is under heavy protest to be brought back to its original form?
It remains a conundrum why the LGRD Ministry is bent on spending taxpayers’ money on something so unpopular, morally reprehensible, unfair, and downright illegal. The people of Bangladesh want a welfare-oriented public policy regime governed by the principle of equity and fairness.
We, the people, would urge the government and authorities concerned to develop infrastructure elsewhere, where a true need exists, and take every measure to bring this field back to its original form. Dhanmondi playground and all other public fields are properties of the people and is there for the purpose of public welfare.
Does it make sense to build another expensive structure that will ultimately just fail and cost us heavy financial and social damage? Has the nation not learnt enough yet? Ceasing these constructions is a much cleverer public policy decision. This field, which is legally open to all, cannot be arbitrarily used for certain interests.
I ask the authorities concerned to step in and correct the monumental loss that has been adversely affecting the minds of children of Dhanmondi and neighbouring communities who are being deprived of an open field for three long years. The collective loss is difficult to quantify.
However, time is ripe, and I am convinced that our MP in Dhanmondi has a role to play in supporting what is fair and ethical. The citizens of Bangladesh and the people of Dhanmondi brought him to power to remain vigilant in these matters of national importance and relevance. If our members of parliament are not vocal about justice and fairness, then where will the public go?
The longer this matter drags on, the worse the situation turns. Subsequently, public sentiment turns sour. This matter should have been resolved by now, but it amazes everybody that these things continue to go unresolved.
I will remain a perplexed citizen of Dhanmondi till the matter is settled on the grounds of equity and justice. Hope has been raised through this journey of reclaiming all open fields, parks, and lakes of Bangladesh from vested quarters on moral grounds. Let the spirit of our citizens’ power rise again.
