Mysterious vandalism at Dhanmondi playground

In the name of green activists, several banners are put up allegedly by miscreants on the railing of Dhanmondi playground last night. Photo courtesy of Bapa

Unidentified miscreants defaced the portrait of Sheikh Jamal and vandalised the guardroom of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at capital’s Dhanmondi-8 public playground last night, police say.
In the mysterious incident, the portrait of Sheikh Jamal on the playground was stained with black ink, window glasses of the guardroom were vandalised around 10:40pm yesterday, Masud Karim, officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi Police Station, told The Daily Star Online.
A banner was also found there which reads, “Thanks to Engineer Mubasshar, Iqbal bhai, Dana apa , Salma apa for protecting the playground from the hands of illegal government and Sheikh family and opening it to the general people.”  
Police release a green activist Sayed Ishtique Ahmed of Green Voice, who was detained from the playground as he tried to bring down the banner around 10:30am, the police official said.
The club authorities filed a case against 35 unidentified people with the police station last night, the OC said.
Meanwhile, protesting hanging of the banners and festoons, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) said that a vested group, who has no relation with the green activists demonstrating for Dhanmondi playground, has put up the banners and festoons.
In a press release signed by Bapa general secretary Dr Md Abdul Matin, the organisation also demanded immediate punishment against the vested group.
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, a private company, has been illegally occupying the playground with half a dozen unauthorised structures for last few years, alleged environmentalists.

Dhaka South City Corporation hung a notice on the gate on April 24, opening the ground to all after two years. Photo: STAR

The High Court in 2011 had ordered the then Dhaka City Corporation, police and public works ministry to open the playground to public and remove all illegal structures from there.
But, on April 18, the club sued three eminent green activists Mubasshar Hussain, Bapa Joint Secretary Iqbal Habib, architect Salma A Shafi and national award winner sports organiser Quamrunnahar Dana for entering into the playground.
However, on April 24, the Dhaka South City Corporation opened the playground to public allowing the people into the field and play games.