Once a decaying playground in the city’s Lalbagh area, Dhaka South City Corporation completely maneuvered the garbage-dumping Hazi Abdul Alim Playground into a green community space. After the makeover, city dwellers got a place to breathe fresh air. The renovation also indicated that the city authorities can make the city livable if wished. We urge the city authorities to reclaim our city as a place for life, sustainability, and growth of civilization.
This 75-katha field has a place for adults to play football, net practice facilities for cricketers, 250-metre walkways, sitting arrangements for visitors, a gymnasium, a cafeteria, and a library. Besides, CCTV surveillance and Wi-Fi facilities have added another dimension. DSCC has also set up toilets and water-treatment plants near the playground. There are even special arrangements for Eid jamaats.
Authorities have ensured that when it rains heavily, all water drains away. A reservoir has been built below the walkway; it can hold about 500,000 tonnes of water. The water will be drinkable after being filtrated. At night, the whole field will be flooded with light. There is a small three-story building in the field’s corner. It has a library on the first floor, and a gym, coffee-house, and flower garden on the top floor. The local ward councillor said they are trying hard to maintain the playground. Since the inauguration, no one has illegally occupied any part of it.
We usually inaugurate anything with cheers that eventually go unusable and go out of focus, but this playground is unabatedly in operation with full swing. The socio-political culture could be molded by willpower and we can turn our city livable is not a belief or political stunt but a reality. We wish all the city corporations and municipalities will retrieve their playgrounds, parks, water bodies, lakes, greeneries, and common spaces for making their neighborhoods livable.
