Joynal Abedin Khan :
The historic Suhrawardy Udyan and its adjoining areas are turning as the sanctuary of criminals instead of city dwellers free moving place due to lack of monitoring by the law enforcing agencies.
It also now considered as the safe heaven for extortionists, stalkers and sex workers after nightfall, Dhaka University (DU) sources said.
“Deadly drug items like Yaba, heroin and ganja are available in the park from morning to midnight. Neither park authorities nor law-enforcers are seen taking any tangible step against such immoral activities that seems to encourage anti-social people,” they alleged.
Even, they claimed, the anti-social activities have pushed the Suhrawardy Udyan, National Shishu Park and the Faculty of Fine Art of DU out of the use of visitors. Meanwhile, the DU authorities have restricted the entrance of their students to Suhrawardy Udyan after evening as a huge number of crime-victims complained to the proctor office of the unwanted incidents in last few months. The DU administration also hanged notice at the administrative building, departments, halls, hostels, residential areas, Teachers-Students Center (TSC), in front of all gates of Suhrawardy Udyan and other important places in this regard.
The notice, signed by the proctor, said, the authorities will not take any responsibilities for the students if they entered the place after 6:00pm and face any kind of unexpected occurrences.
Laila Afroj, a student of Arbic Department, said that most of the university students feel uneasy with new guests to visit at the historic park.
She said, “The Dhaka University’s decision shocked us as it would encourage the criminals and anti-social elements to commit crimes. So, the authorities and law enforcers should remove the offenders by conducting proper steps.” Drug traders and their clients, mostly youngsters from different corners of the capital, throng some points of the park every morning to take drug, said Alamgir, a hawker.
A teacher of Sociology Department Ahsanul Haque said, “Listed criminals, some student leaders and the drug smugglers taking advantage of the law enforcers’ inactivity have turned the entire park and its adjoining areas have virtually turned into a safe heaven for the criminals.” He said that, “From labourers to businessmen, many are now involved in carrying, selling and consuming Yaba, heroin and ganja.”
DU Acting Proctor Professor Dr AM Amzad said, “The university authorities put up a warning notice asking the students to leave the place before evening.” He said the authorities decided to issue the notice after receiving some allegations against some DU students involved in unwanted incidents occurred in the area.
The proctor said that the authorities have already taken action to prevent the entrance of outsiders on the campus and to avoid unwanted circumstances. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah said that the criminals are also awarded various jail terms for carrying drugs, but they soon secure bail and get involved in the same business anew. He said, “I’ve strictly instructed police members to go for stern action against drug traders and other criminals.”
Shahbag Police Station Officer-in-Charge (Investigation) Md Zafor Ali said that recently a victim filed a case alleging a group of miscreants stopped him in Suhrawardy Udyan area and snatched Tk 50,000 by using his ATM card forcefully. He said the law enforcers are driving away the visitors after 6:30pm and the guards are deployed in the gates of the Udyan.
An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Shyamol Dutta of the city’s Shahbag Police Station was closed on May 4 on charge of extortion of Tk 50,000 from a DU student, he said.
