Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) dubiously handed over the park, adjacent to Biman's local office in Motijheel commercial area, to Dhaka Bank around a year ago.

According to Dhaka Bank officials, they have got a four-year beautification contract and beautification cell of the DCC has handed over the land.

At least 30 old trees of the park were felled under cover of night around a week back, said a number of vendors who run their business around the park.

A concrete structure for generator and a sunshade for drivers are now being built at one corner of the park as part of the 'development'.

Contacted, Managing Director of Dhaka Bank Shahed Noman said it is not a park at all.

"Felling trees is a part of ongoing beautification work," said Noman. "We are doing the work as per a development plan approved by Dhaka City Corporation."

Dhaka Bank and Biman will install advertisement signs at the site, he said.

Chief executive officer of DCC Saifuddin Ahmed and the then chief conservancy officer Sohel Faruquee approved the park's beautification plan on September 13, 2006.

Architects Rezaul Islam, Uzhat Zereen, Mobinul Alam, Moinil Haque, Jalal Uddin M Akbar and Munzur Morshed and engineers Mojibul Haque, Ekhlas Sayeed, Joseph Jovial Halder and Rashedul Haq of 'Architects Design Centre' made the design.

Following queries from The Daily Star, Assistant Vice-president (Public Relations) of Dhaka Bank Azam Khan said that management of the bank has decided to revise the design and postpone the ongoing work.

"We will talk to the architects to revise the design to accommodate trees in the landscaping work," said Khan. "Trees will be planted in a planned manner in place of those we have felled."

Khan said they would get the revised design approved by DCC and construct an underground room for the generator.

He admitted that they have not obtained Rajuk approval for erecting structure at the site.

Director (Admin) of Biman SM Mosaddeque Hossain also said Biman and Dhaka Bank will install advertisement signs at the site.

"Dhaka Bank will invest fully for development of the site and we will take a benefit out of it," he said. "But we are against Dhaka Bank's act of felling trees."

Interestingly, the development design and modification proposal, that the DCC has approved, has no room for trees, said Hossain.

"Felling trees is not consistent with beautification of a park. We must admit that felling trees is unjust and appropriate measures should be taken if it is a violation of law."

According to another Biman official, it became necessary to chop down trees of the park to accommodate installations for advertisements.

DCC CEO Saifuddin Ahmed said: "May be the bank is going to plant better and more beautiful trees there. It will be clear only after completion of the work."

The beautification design did not have any provisions for trees and was clearly signed by three DCC officials including the chief executive officer Saifuddin Ahmed and the then chief conservancy officer Sohel Faruquee.

Chief Estate Officer of DCC Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said that he would write to the beautification cell to cancel the contract with Dhaka Bank and call for an explanation from Dhaka Bank as to why they have felled trees.

"In any case, the bank is not supposed to chop down trees of a public park," he said. "The DCC has not authorised the bank to fell any existing trees."

The anomalies and fishy manner in which the DCC took possession of the park for Dhaka Bank around seven months back gave rise to speculations that the million-dollar land at the prime commercial district was going to be grabbed through a shady deal.

Biman had taken over the park more than 30 years ago for maintenance, said Hossain. "I was directly concerned with planting the trees that have been felled."

Rajuk handed over 42 public parks in the capital to DCC for maintenance by an order in 1982, many of which are untraceable today.