Spare the Tetulia playground

As it is, Dhaka city's unbridled and unplanned growth has divested it of the open spaces needed for its residents' recreation and outdoor activities. For anyone who has lived through the times when Dhaka was only a budding city, with every colony, housing area or locality having its own playground, park and recreation facilities, the current transformation is painful and unbearable. Now, only a few open spaces and playgrounds are available in Dhaka, and parks—which every locality should have—are few and far between. Whatever open space is available is being pounced upon, either by the administration or private realtors. Admittedly, the population pressure on the capital makes that inevitable, but the situation is worsened by the wanton disregard for the national building code. Reportedly, 25 out of the 75 wards under Dhaka South City Corporation and 10 out of the 55 wards under Dhaka North City Corporation don't have a single park or playground.

Added to the list of playgrounds that have made way for construction of buildings is the playground in Tetulia. On January 31, 2022, the Deputy Commissioner's Office in Dhaka handed over the playground to Dhaka Metropolitan Police, reportedly to house a police station there. Needless to say, unless there is an intervention, the people of the area would be deprived of a free and open space where they can take a deep breath and where children can play. The field had multiple uses, and had been used for Eid congregations and Janaza prayers for the last 50 years.

Dhaka's transformation as a sprawling mass of concrete jungle, which has devoured playgrounds, catchment areas and floodplains, has affected children the most. With the majority of new schools and colleges lacking any facilities for outdoor activities, the only option for physical exercise are the local grounds. And that, too, are becoming very scarce, which is one of the main reasons why children these days are found glued to the computer or the TV most of the time.

We understand that there is a need for space for a new police station. One doesn't contest the fact that the land has been acquired through a due process either. But we believe there could be alternatives that can spare the piece of land that has been used for outdoor activities by the local residents for the last five decades. We urge the authorities to show some kindness to the children and the locals of the overpopulated area, and make alternative arrangements for the police station.