In absence of proper maintenance, the corner is in a shabby condition with the swings, slippers, seesaws and other rides either broken or worn out or stolen.

Though exclusively designated for children, not above 12 years of age, the place is seen occupied by adults and vagabonds, floating prostitutes and ruffians round-the-clock.

The park is owned by the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Arbouryculture Department is responsible for its maintenance. The Arbouryculture Department also maintains Suhrawardy Udyan, Zia Udyan and the National Mausoleum.

Sub-divisional Officer of Arbouryculture Department Md Moazzem Hossain said, "In fact, the incumbent private security guards do not discharge their duty properly and we are going to replace them soon with a new set."

PWD Sub-divisional Engineer (SDE) Zillur Rahman said that the security personnel are often helpless to tackle the gang of ruffians.

The children's playing equipment in the park are getting destroyed or stolen, wasting public money. On a visit to the spot on July 8, this correspondent found seven swings not only broken but the steel shackles and seats taken away.

A couple with their tiny tot was looking for a scope to grab any playing ride but to no avail. No security personnel came in sight in and around the corner while adults, vagrants, floating prostitutes and ruffians were found wandering around.

Two or three adult persons ride a swing at a time meant for children and abuse other equipment as well, said Rashed Hasan from Gulshan, who took his two-year-old daughter to the park in the morning of a weekend.

To his utter disappointment, he found the children's playing equipment either broken or being roughly used by unruly adults, though there are signboards prohibiting entry of people above 12 years.

Hasan said, "This is an unacceptable and offensive situation of denying children their right to play and wasting public money."

Rawshan Ara Begum, a housewife from Fakirerepul, was another guardian who took her four-year-old son to Ramna's children corner. She expressed her anger over the state of children's corner saying, "The city managers have utterly failed to provide the children with playing facilities. It is just a farce to develop a meagre facility in the name of children but not to maintain it."

Member secretary, parks and grounds programme committee of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) Sharif Jamil said that huge amount of public money is wasted in the name of installing children's playing equipment in the parks and playgrounds with the instruments rusting away or destroyed in absence of maintenance.