Abul Hasnat, executive engineer, zone 5, DCC, said often the vagabonds openly attack DCC gardeners and other staff when they go to the park.

"I feel frightened when I go to inspect the ongoing work of the park's beautification. I fear they can attack me anytime because often they beat up our gardeners. Prostitutes roam freely after dusk," he said.

"At present our main challenge is to free the park from the grip of vagabonds and improve its environment, otherwise it will be difficult for us to continue project work," said Hasnat.

One of the DCC engineers involved in beautification of Osmani Udyan said the park is at present under the grip of vagabonds, beggars and drug peddlers.

"There is a nexus among drug peddlers, muggers and prostitutes. The place is totally insecure," he said.

"Many times we have requested the police including the Inspector General of Police verbally to take action against the vagabonds. But what they managed to do till now is walking in front of the park's gate," said the official.

"Last month we lodged a general diary with Shahbagh Police Station but it was of no use. We need the help of the police because we do not have our own law enforcing people," he added.

Osmani Udyan, a historical park of the city situated on 23 acres of land, is the only breathing space in the area. It was closed down to the public over one and a half years ago due to its beautification.

The first phase of the project was completed in September last year at the cost of Tk 2.93 crore. The second phase, costing Tk 3.40 crore, is going on.

The vagabonds were evicted from the park by DCC but they were back again after a year of the eviction.

To free the Udyan from this problem, DCC constructed a concrete wall around the park to prevent floating people from entering. But still they are infiltrating into the park and residing there at night.

In the first phase DCC fenced the entire park with a combination of a concrete wall, iron grills and shrubs. A 2-kilometre walkway and an artificial lake were made in the park.

The second phase of the work that has already been started includes landscaping, planting grass, ornamental trees and big trees, making flower beds, installation of lights, drainage system, non-mechanised recreational toys and sand pit for children and a separate area for women.

"For landscaping we are dividing the place into high and low grounds so that it does not become muddy in monsoon," said Hasnat.

Several acres of original land of the park are under illegal occupation by different groups for the last two decades. Among them are Peer Yameni Market, a club of Muktijoddha Sangsad, a Wasa pump house, Golap Shah Mosque, an air-conditioning plant of Osmani Memorial Hall authorities and a road to the police barrack, said DCC sources.

There is a committee called Osmani Udyan development, beautification and modernisation advisory committee, which consists of members of the civil society, educationalists and environmentalists.

Prof Sirajul Islam, member of the committee, said that they had submitted the plan of the project to DCC on September 25, 2004.

"Our job was to design the project according to the budget of DCC. As DCC has shortage of manpower we proposed to include the local residents and public participants like players and joggers and the local ward commissioner in the maintenance work of the park," he said.

"A volunteer group can be engaged to guard the place so that the park can be saved by local leadership. But the ward commissioner is on the run at present," he added.

Around 57 shishu trees were felled recently as they were dying from a kind of 'worm'. A decision was taken one and a half years ago to chop down 600 shishu, 200 acacia and 70 eucalyptus trees as they are harmful to the soil and soak up groundwater. These trees were imported and planted during the rule of Ershad.

"We are already late. These harmful trees should have been cut down a year ago," said Hasnat.

"Instead of these trees we are planting 650 local environment friendly trees like arjun, mehogoni, banyan, bokul, kodom, teak, silk cotton, mango, jackfruit and coconut over the last one year," he said.

Construction of eleven fountains named after eleven sector commanders of the Liberation War and an open stage for cultural shows were reportedly dropped from the design due to shortage of funds.

At present there are 18 gardeners of DCC working in the park. Dr Nizamuddin Ahmed, head of architecture department, Buet, did the design of the park.