<i>DCC playing dubious role on public places</i>
The role of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) in maintaining the city's parks, playgrounds and open spaces has always been dubious, leaving these public places in a deplorable state.
Though custodian of most of the city parks and playgrounds, the DCC has miserably failed to provide the city dwellers with the minimum breathing space, said eminent city dwellers.
The aggrieved people alleged that the DCC authorities have consistently let the scanty open spaces to be misused, plundered or destroyed by certain quarters.
Prof Serajul Islam Choudhury, head of an advisory committee on DCC's park development and beautification, said that the city corporation must be accountable for what role it has been playing to conserve the parks and playgrounds.
"Wasteful use of the playgrounds is unacceptable and it is all the more unacceptable when DCC itself indulges in it,” he said. …It is very unjust to use a playfield on commercial basis.”
Despite widespread public outcry, the DCC rents out the playgrounds allowing commercial events like fair, music concerts and wedding ceremonies in exchange of money, denying the community of their right to open space and sporting facility, alleged locals.
Apart from Kalabagan Krira Chakra occupying Kalabagan Children's Park, Dhanmondi Club using Dhanmondi playground, Dhanmondi Cricket Academy occupying a children's park and Gulshan Youth Club occupying Gulshan Central Park, there are more examples.
According to a survey of June 2007 conducted by DCC, Shahid Park (Makil Park) in Mohammadpur is being used commercially. Shyamoly Shishu Mela (children's park) is being used as a commercial amusement park.
Narinda Shishu Park has been divided into several portions. A clubhouse occupies Outfall Staff Quarter Shishu Park (ward no-86). Iqbal Road Shishu Park (Udayjal ground) in Mohammadpur and Hazaribagh Kasaitola Park are in possession of two clubs.
Dhupkhola playground (DCC ward no-81) has been occupied with a rent-a-car office, rental cars, public toilet and a restaurant, says the DCC survey. One portion is occupied with a rickshaw garage, a shop of construction materials and two other shops.
As per findings of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa), Haji Alim Eidgah Math in Bakshibazar is at the disposal of Orient Cricket Academy. The academy is sponsored by a company that uses the playground for loading and unloading of goods of the company. A kitchen market is located within the playground.
Shyamoli pisciculture playground is in possession of Shyamoli Club and a kitchen market.
Prof Muzaffer Ahmad, a noted environmentalist, said DCC is duty-bound to preserve and protect open space for the people as obligated by its institutional mandate.
“But the DCC has consistently been apathetic to conservation of open space and devoid of commitment, as the corporation itself has destroyed a good many open spaces in the old part of Dhaka,” said Prof Ahmad. “My perception is that DCC is beneficiary of illegal money making game out of parks and playgrounds by different sections.”
President of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB) Mubasshar Hussain said DCC takes monetary benefits renting out playgrounds for different commercial purposes particularly in the way of arranging cattle markets in connivance with some sports clubs.
DCC rented out the playground of Gulshan Central Park to an organisation to hold a fair of handicrafts on December 1, and then a wedding ceremony on December 26 last year. The field remained occupied with such functions throughout January this year.
A source at the DCC Estate Department said that DCC earns Tk 23, 334 per day renting out the Gulshan Central Park playground.
Shirin Shila, joint general secretary of Gulshan Society, said use of playgrounds for fair and concerts creates nuisance in the residential area. Traffic congestion takes such a proportion that it becomes very difficult for the residents to move in the locality.
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) presently runs grocery shops at many of the city's children's parks and playgrounds.
However, the city mayor has expressed his ignorance over the alleged moneymaking game with parks and playgrounds and their abuse.
The mayor, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, said they have neither authorised nor appointed any clubs to maintain public playgrounds and use them exclusively.
“I have no idea that they rent out these public spaces and make money out of them,” he said. “Whoever may do it is doing illegally.”
Responding to the allegation that DCC authorities themselves are beneficiaries of the monetary gain made out of public playgrounds, the mayor said, “It is not in my knowledge.”
DCC Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Alauddin said they are going to take actions to retrieve the public parks and playgrounds now under unauthorised occupancy.
“But we cannot carry out any eviction drives at the moment, as we have no executive magistrates at present,” he said.
An unspecified number of city parks and playgrounds are either commercially used in this manner or in unauthorised possession.
Former adviser to the youth and sports ministry and Bapa Vice-president SM Shahjahan said that it is obviously an abuse of public playgrounds. “I think the government should take stern action against such improper use of public space,” he said.
He also said the National Sports Council and the Ministry of Youth and Sports can play a vital role in this regard. The ministry in a recent letter directed the authorities concerned, including the DCC, not to use playgrounds for purposes other than sports and games.
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