Though it is a designated public park, ordinary people while wandering in Ramna need to be aware of such exclusive zones and sheds built in the area.

Retired or serving civil and military bureaucrats, diplomats and housewives of influential people who come to Ramna Park on a regular basis for a stroll and jogging have apparently turned the park, particularly its north-eastern and eastern parts, into “exclusive zones” for the members of the groups and clubs only.

According to government officials concerned, these clubs are unauthorised. The ordinary people who go to the park also think that the use of the park in the form of VIPs' group, walkers' club and health club create a situation of privileged use of a public property.

Sub-divisional officer (SDO) of the Department of Arbouryculture Md Moazzem Hossain, responsible for Ramna Park, said, "Construction of exclusive sheds is not authorised inside a public park."

Once some groups of VIPs constructed a number of sheds at their own expenses in Ramna Park. The city division of Public Works Department (PWD) demolished three to four such unauthorised sheds in 2005, according to Hossain.

While PWD owns the park, the arbouryculture department is responsible for its gardening, plantation, beautification and maintenance.

There are a number of enclosed patches within the park area in different names like 'Nageswar Chanpa', 'Krishnachura', and tin-roofed 'Kichhukhhon' and 'Akash Moni'. Besides, the PWD itself has raised a shed in the name of PWD Inspection Centre.

According to sources concerned, the then public works minister Mirza Abbas used to take rest at 'Nageswar Chanpa' exclusively during his stroll in the park.

Both the minister and the then public works secretary Iqbal Uddin Chowdhury used to stroll in the Ramna Park and a number of structures were built with their direct consent.

The tin-roofed and iron-grill fenced 'Kichhukhhon' remains under lock and key and is open only to a group of secretaries. The structure, to the west of 'Mohila Aungan', is exclusively meant for high officials, who themselves built it. The PWD has not been able to demolish this structure just because top brasses are involved in it.

'Shatayu Aungan' is another area earmarked for 'private use'.

Chief Engineer of PWD AFM Monjurul Islam said, "We have constructed the shelters in the park as per plan of the Department of Architecture."

But the technical committee on development of Ramna Park proposed only three park shelters that have been built in the shape of timber log, according to official sources.

Except those three, none of the concrete structures or tin sheds was in the original design of the committee, headed by the chief architect of the Department of Architecture.

Later on, Mirza Abbas instructed construction of four more hexagon shaped sheds including Nageswar Chanpa beyond knowledge of the Department of Architecture.

Assistant Chief Architect of the Department of Architecture, Novera Gauhar, who was in the technical committee and designed Ramna Park development plan, said the committee proposed and designed only three shelters in proportion with certain distance. "The three shelters were designed in the form of timber logs in harmony with nature," she said.

The technical committee comprised of architects and engineers and worked from 2003 until end of 2006.

Ideally, a park should be free of indiscriminate construction of structures, said experts. Activities and use of a public park in the name of associations and groups are neither consistent nor desirable. But influential quarters who have link with high level of the government, manage exclusive privilege for them even at a public space.

Sub-divisional Engineer (Civil) of PWD Zillur Rahman said that the PWD has constructed around seven to eight sheds following applications of VIP park users. Different groups of park users occupy different sheds.

"Exclusive or group-wise use of park shelters is not an authorised practice," said Rahman.

Chief Architect of the Department of Architecture ASM Ismail said approved shelters in a park are meant for use of the general people. "Unauthorised shelters and exclusive group use of the authorised ones are not allowable," he said.