Structures at Dhanmondi playground demolished

Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) yesterday demolishes all the makeshift bamboo structures on Dhanmondi playground which were illegally set up to hold a Baishakhi fair. PHOTO: STAR

In the presence of about a dozen armed policemen, the DCC team, accompanied by Magistrate Nurul Alam and equipped with an excavator, demolished the structures. The structures were built after digging thousands of holes in the playground where children of Dhanmondi, Kathal Bagan and Kalabagan regularly play. Two officials of the DCC's Estate Department oversaw the demolition process.

The Dhanmondi club authorities defied a high court order and decided to hold the fair on the playground. The club authorities sold the right of use of the playground to a private firm for Tk 225,000. DCC's Estate Department is the custodian of the playground. The fair organisers had completed building nearly a hundred makeshift stalls and rented each for up to Tk 10,000 for the seven-day fair.

Chief Estate Officer Abu Taleb told The Daily Star Dhanmondi club itself is illegally occupying a part of the playground and the club officials built unauthorised structures.

Residents in the area yesterday expressed their relief at the DCC action but said the playground should be immediately repaired to avert accidents. Thousands of holes in the playground must be filled up with properly, they said. Nazma Akhtar, a resident of Road No 8, said throughout the city some unscrupulous people are occupying playgrounds to make some quick money at the cost of our children's mental and physical health.

"The authorities should send a message to these unscrupulous people that they would not be tolerated for such acts," she added.