‘This park lost everything that made it special’

A  long-time regular at the port city's Biplab Udyan, former schoolteacher Tarapada Ghosh had been  maintaining strict quarantine since the start of the pandemic. What he saw when he  finally decided to go to the park on Wednesday astonished him.

According  to Tarapada, the park, owned by Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) and  located in the city's Sholoshahar Gate-2 area, has become a shadow  of its former self, owing to over-commercialisation.

"I was not  ready to see the park in such a battered state. What has the  authority done in the name of development?" he exclaimed.

"I  don't think it can be called a public park anymore -- it has become a means for profit-making," said the resident of  Nasirabad Housing Society.

When this correspondent visited the  park, he could see Tarapada's point. As a leisurely space for the city's  residents, the park should provide a couple of things for visitors'  recreation: ample sitting arrangement, security -- especially after  sunset, and sufficient greenery.

But none of these were  adequately available at the park. There's only a few places where people  can sit, no boundary walls for security, and no garden or much  greenery.

However, what the park does have are shops, lots of  them. At one stretch of the park, a total of 20 shops stand in a row,  mostly selling fast-food.  Sitting spaces for the shops' customers eat  up a big chunk of the park's space.

"This park has lost everything that made it special," the regret was clear in Tarapada's  voice.

Built in 1979, Biplab Udyan is one of only four  parks with free access for the city's residents, who have become agitated at its current operating model. "It's  not a park anymore. It's been turned into a food court," visiting Bijli  Barua said.

Park authorities said the shops were built recently and were constructed with permission.

According  to  sources, the process started on November 28, 2018, when  CCC signed a contact with two private organisations for the park's  development. The contractors were quick to build shop-spaces and rent  them out for a fat advance, CCC sources told this  correspondent.

Amid all of this, the development of the park remains illusive,  they said.

"A public park should not have been handed over to  private organisations. Once in the hands of business people, it's normal  that they would prefer profit over public service," opined Dr Mahfuzur  Rahman, convener of Public Health Rights Protection Committee,  Chattogram.       

This correspondent contacted Khorshed Alam  Sujan, who took over as administrator of CCC in August last year. Right  after taking charge, Sujan visited the park on August 25. He said he  felt bad seeing the sad state of things at Biplab Udyan.

Within  a couple of days, the city corporation organised a public hearing,  inviting citizens, activists, journalists and more to come forward with  their complaints about the park.

The participants outright said  the park "has been ruined", in the name of development. It has no  natural environment, but instead of working on that, "development"  meant narrowing down walkways to make room for shops, they alleged.

They blamed this on the commercial  attitude of the previous CCC administration, saying that they were responsible for putting profits before the  recreational needs of the city's people.

Sujan admitted to the truth of the allegations when talking to The Daily Star yesterday. "Though the agreement allows 20 shops, there are five more at the park. Moreover, some of them are even building first floors, in violation of the agreement."

"In light of this," Sujan continued, "We initiated demolition of the illegal structures, but the contractors have taken it to the court to resist us."

"There are more irregularities involved," the administrator said. "For example, the Tk 100 crore-property is being leased for a meagre Tk one lakh per year."

As a new mayor was elected, Sujan was discharged from the post of CCC  administrator on February 1. CCC chief executive officer Kazi  Mohammad Mozammel Hoque has taken charge until the newly elected  mayor takes over.

The Daily Star tried to contact him  over phone but he could not comment on the matter as he is ill with Covid-19.

Former mayor AJM Nasir Uddin could not be reached despite multiple attempts.

Contacted, newly elected CCC mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said he would look into the matter after taking over responsibilities.