The children’s park at Shahbagh or Shishu Park has remained closed since January 2019, as the authorities are working to modernise it. But no progress has been made on the modernisation project for the last three and a half years. Seven Eid holidays have passed by, but the park, which has been a prominent centre of recreation for families over the years, has been unable to serve anyone during the holidays. The Department of Public Works owns the park’s land and is currently working on an underground car parking inside the park under the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs.
In January 2019, DSCC announced its closure by hanging a notice in front of the park, stating that it would be closed to the public to avoid any unwanted accident during the modernisation and development work, implemented by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs. According to the work order of the ministry project, the construction of Swadhinata Stambha (Phase 3) was supposed to start in January 2016 and be completed by 2019.
Urban experts opined that the closure is depriving an entire generation of children of healthier modes of entertainment, hindering their physical and mental development. Dhaka has very limited spaces for children, and Shishu Park is one of them. The fact that it will be closed for almost half a decade is completely unacceptable. What’s more concerning is that even the stakeholders don’t have clear information regarding its reopening.
Dhaka city needs at least 2,000 parks and 4,000 playgrounds with a minimum area of 1 acre for approximately 2.5 crore people. However, Dhaka has only 235 playgrounds, out of which only 42 are open for all, while 6% of those provide access to girls. The park was the only public amusement facility for all and the cheapest mode of ride and entry. Without the park, the children of low-income families could not get access to privately run amusement facilities. The city is not for all.
