'Protect Shegunbagicha school playground'

They also demanded steps to stop local government's initiative to build a 'Thana Resource Centre' on the playground, which is to be established in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank.

Bapa said constructing any structure on any playground, garden or any open space is illegal according to Garden Preservation Law 2000.

Being failed to hold its scheduled press conference on the Shegunbagicha High School premises yesterday due to police 'interference', it circulated a written statement to the journalists, says a press release.

In the statement, Bapa said the tiny playground is the lone open space of three schools. Shegunbagicha High School is on the north of the playground, while Begum Rahima Ideal Girls School is on the east and Ideal Government Primary School is on the west.

Before the beginning of the academic activities of the schools, around two thousand students of those schools gather at the playground everyday. The schools hold assembly everyday in turn due to little size of the playground. Annual sports of the three schools are also held here.

If the resource centre is built, students will have no open place to gather which will hamper their physical and mental growth, Bapa said.

"Residents of the area, guardians and the Bapa think the initiative to construct any structure is unethical," the statement reads.

On the occasion of the press conference, Bapa Convener Abu Naser Khan, Engineer Md Shahidullah, Engineer Inamul Haque, Begum Rahima Ideal Girls School Vice President Shamsuddin Bhuiyan and a number of residents of the area and guardians of the students gathered at the place.