Playground in Sirajganj now 'apple of discord'

Construction of the boundary wall of a playground in Sirajganj district town has come to a halt allegedly due to a political feud between the Zila Parishad administrator and the municipality mayor. Photo: Star

Development work of a playground has come to a halt allegedly due to political feud between Zila Parishad administrator and municipality mayor.
According to townspeople, since 1976, "Masumpur Krira Chakra (MKC)" of Sirajganj district town has been producing good players at local and national levels in football, cricket, badminton and kabadi using the playground.
Local young men and women and sports lovers are now frustrated due to failure of the authorities to further develop the playground because of to political differences of the two elected heads of the town.
Sirajganj municipality mayor Mokaddesh Ali, who is also secretary of the district unit of BNP, managed to arrange Tk. 2 crore assistance for the overall development of the playground, which includes construction of the boundary wall and earth filling.
LGRD ministry later sanctioned Tk. 25 lakh for the development of the field and its boundary wall through Zila Parishad administration which allegedly disappointed the mayor.
However, in the second week of September 2013, construction of the boundary wall began. In a week 40 pillars of the wall were built beside the road.
On September 20, 2013, the municipality authorities allegedly stopped the construction saying that the pillars were not built in the right positions and they needed fresh measurement.
The Zila Parishad administration sent a letter to the municipality for doing fresh measurement and survey of the field to construct the wall, but the reply was yet to reach its office till November 28, 2013, said Chief Executive Officer of the parishad Mohammad Ibrahim.
Zila Parishad administrator Abdul Majid Mondal, a ruling party adherent, said as the field belonged to the club, they started the work but the mayor stopped the work for 'reasons unknown'.
Secretary of the club Mahfuz Alam Bachchu said that the mayor and Zila Parished administrator belong to rival political camps. However, the club authorities want a peaceful finishing of the development work.
Club's sports secretary Selim Uddin said that the new boundary wall would cut the size (below120/80 yard) of the field.
Executive Engineer of the municipality Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal told this correspondent that the work was stopped for survey and the letter of the district administration had been sent to the mayor's office.
Contacted, Mayor Md. Mokaddesh Ali said that Zila Parishad administration and club authorities started construction of the club's boundary wall at the location without the consent of his office.
He refuted the allegation of political feud with the Zila Parishad administrator and said that he would look into the matter.