Save Tetultala playground

Residents of Ward-17 in Dhanmondi under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) yesterday demanded the prime minister save their 50-year-old playground and keep it open for all.

Local police installed barbed-wire fences around Tetultala playground in January.

"There is no other place for our kids to play. We have been going to the field for the last 50 years. But on January 31, the local police station set up barbed wires to construct their new station on the field, and we heard that they purchased the land for Tk 28 crore," said Syada Ratna, coordinator of Tetultola Math Rokkhya Andolon, at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity.

She said they do not know how the authority purchased land that has been used as an open space for decades.

Ratna said according to the law, changing characteristics of a playground, open space and waterbody is illegal.

At the conference, Iqbal Habib, joint secretary of Bapa, said in the proposed Detailed Area Plan, Tetultala playground is not earmarked as a playground. However, in sub-zone-17 (Dhanmondi, Zigatola, Kalabagan and Kathalbagan) they proposed keeping sufficient open space for the areas.