We are outraged, like everyone else, by the decision of the housing and public works ministry to give away 25 acres of land in Suhrawardy Udyan to Dhaka Club for a golf course. Why such prime land should be given to a club when shrinking space in the urban areas has become a serious public concern is mind-boggling. Environmentalists and other sections of the population are right to demand that the decision be rescinded and that nothing should be done to damage the existing landscape of Suhrawardy Udyan. Over the years the Udyan, formerly known as the Race Course, has lost a good deal of its character through such edifices as the Engineers Institute and the Roads and Highways Department coming up. In the early 1980s, the establishment of a children's park took away a large chunk of land from the Udyan.

Over the years, therefore, Suhrawardy Udyan has been in a state of siege from various quarters. Whatever has remained of it has been considered a boon by citizens, who have made use of it for recreation and as breathing space for families looking for spots to spend weekend evenings in. Besides, the Udyan boasts rare species of trees and plants that are a delight for nature lovers. In such circumstances, for Dhaka Club to grab 25 acres of Suhrawardy Udyan comes as a shock that can only be overcome through launching a vigorous programme of action aimed at preventing the transfer of the land to it. The ministry of public works owes an explanation to citizens as to how such a surreptitious move to hand over this huge portion of the Udyan to the club has been made. If Dhaka Club needs a new golf course, let it seek space for it outside the perimeters of the capital. Let Suhrawardy Udyan retain its character as a public place.

In the recent past, the caretaker government has taken action against land grabbers and has thereby earned the approbation of the people. Now, ironically, it appears to be condoning a land-grabbing move by an elitist club. We demand that the move to give Dhaka Club land belonging to Suhrawardy Udyan be rescinded immediately in the public interest. When our schoolchildren have no playgrounds for recreation, when citizens have little or no space to enjoy nature, it is morally wrong for a club to seize property it has no right to. Let us not forget either that Bangabandhu delivered his March 7, 1971 address at Suhrawardy Udyan and the Pakistan occupation army surrendered there on December 16 that year. The Shwadhinota Stambha or memorial there, incomplete though it is, remains testimony to our history.

We rest our case, for now.