Bahadur Shah Park now ‘Café Bahadur’
In a shocking development, Dhaka South City Corporation has allowed a private entity to construct a food court at the historic Bahadur Shah Park -- much to the dismay of locals and eminent citizens.
The café has significantly shrunk the space, beauty and sanctity of the place, according to the aggrieved locals, who have been protesting the move for the last several months.
It all started when a firm named DAR Holding Limited took the lease of the park till September 28, 2023, from DSCC for Tk 3.61 crore. In the agreement, the company was allowed to operate a food cart during this one year.
However, two cafes were recently set up in the middle of the park, violating the terms and conditions of the lease.
Ironically, a signboard of the bigger food stall read -- "Café Bahadur".
What's worse is the food stalls were constructed just behind a memorial, which preserves memories of the martyrs of the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny.
Following protests from concerned citizens and Old Dhaka dwellers, the authorities have started removing one of the two food courts from Thursday, although "Café Bahadur" is operating in full swing.
"We do not think there is any necessity for such commercial structures in the park. It is not only damaging the sanctity of the historical place but also robbing the locals of a place to breathe fresh air, away from the chaos of the capital."
"Over one lakh students of 14 educational institutions in and around Laxmibazar rely on the park for entertainment. Besides, people of all ages use the park for exercise," said Aktaruzzaman Khan, member secretary of Bahadurshah Park and Oitijjo Rokkha Sangram Committee.
He said they have already submitted prayers to the DSCC mayor, a local lawmaker of Dhaka-6 constituency and the district commissioner's office by taking mass signatures of locals to take necessary steps in this regard.
"We, along with eminent citizens, met the (DSCC) mayor on November 10, demanding the removal of the cafés, highlighting the history of the park, and setting up boundary walls for security. The mayor agreed with our demands and assured us that he would take the necessary measures," he said.
"However, he did not keep his promise," he added.
Contacted, DSCC Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said they have permitted one food court to provide service to the visitors. "It was not set up for commercial purposes," he said.
He said the café has already been shifted to another place from the side of the memorial as per the demand of the citizens. "The place for exercise is still there and the café will not create any problems," he added.
Surrounded by greenery on all sides, Bahadur Shah Park stands proud of its rich history and enriched architectural features.
The place was known as Victoria Park, named after Queen Victoria, former Queen of the British Empire. Later in 1957, the park was renamed after the last Mughal emperor, Mirza Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar, popularly known as Bahadur Shah II.
In 1857, during the Sepoy Mutiny against colonial rulers, English soldiers publicly executed the captured mutineers by hanging them from different trees of the place.
There are two memorials at the park entrances. The tallest one is situated on the eastern side, in memory of the martyred sepoys.
The DSCC took up a mega project in 2016 during the tenure of former mayor Sayeed Khokon, involving 70 architects, to modernise 19 parks and 12 playgrounds, including Bahadur Shah Park, under its jurisdiction.
The park was developed under the guidance of Md Rafiq Azam, principal architect of "Shatotto", an architecture firm and consultant team leader of the mega project, and there was no food court in the initial designs.
Earlier, DSCC Chief Estate Officer Md Rasel Sabrin said they permitted a makeshift food court, not a permanent structure.
Adil Mohammad Khan, former general secretary of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, said, "Leasing out open spaces for commercial use has become a common tendency of city corporations. The same thing was seen in Suhrawardy Udyan."