Free Golartek playground from police occupation
Over the past decades, we have witnessed many of Dhaka's playgrounds disappearing either due to the greed of powerful businesses and individuals or simply due to poor urban planning. Recently, the Golartek playground in Mirpur-1, largest playing field under the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), was found to be occupied by Darus Salam Police Station. The police station has turned a part of the four-acre field into a dumping ground for more than 50 seized vehicles, ranging from trucks and buses to motorcycles and rickshaws.
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According to locals, seized vehicles started taking up space in the Golartek field just two years after the establishment of Darus Salam Police Station in 2008. More than a decade has passed since then, yet the police station continues to use the field as a dumping ground. They claim that the vehicles are case exhibits and that they have no alternative storage space. And despite repeated demands from the locals to clear the field, there has been no concrete action from the police. According to the station, they have written to the city corporation requesting land, but no allocation has been made to date.
Is that a viable reason to turn a public playground into a dumping ground for seized vehicles? The deputy commissioner of police for the Mirpur division has cited the absence of a permanent station building as the root of the problem. But why should the community suffer for this? The lack of urgency from both the police and city authorities to clear the field is unacceptable.
Dhaka has already lost most of its open areas, including parks and playgrounds. Many of them have been converted into commercial spaces, and plans are underway to destroy the few that remain. The impact of this on our children is immense. Deprived of outdoor spaces, they are forced to stay indoors, their eyes glued to screens, harming their health and overall well-being. We urge the government to take immediate action and ensure that the Golartek playground is freed from occupation. The DNCC authorities and Darus Salam Police Station must work together to resolve this issue without delay. Furthermore, the government must save all remaining playgrounds and parks in the city from illegal encroachment. Playgrounds are not a luxury, they are a vital infrastructure for a healthy and liveable city.
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