Surma Point, also known as Sylhet city, has become a den of antisocial and criminal activities keeping at bay the city dwellers from visiting one of the very few eyesoothing green spots in the Sylhet.
Even during daytime people are involved in petty criminal activities. Drug addicts, pushers, sex workers and their pimps prowl around the park making it impossible for city dwellers to visit it.
A number of visitors told this correspondent that they would not visit the park in future as they thought it was no more a decent place.
Ali Ahmed, a resident of Jollarpar, who was with his wife and two children, said: ‘I had heard a little about the atmosphere of Point, but never imagined this sort of social degradation.’
‘If I had known about this condition, I would not have come here with my family or even alone.’ he added.
Surma Point is located to the north of the Court Bhaban and the east of the Jila Parashad.
Illegal establishments, drug addicts, hookers, muggers and petty criminals have robbed the park of most of its beauty.
‘After the sun sets, the Surma Point goes under the control of drug addicts and peddlers, floating sex workers, their associates and clients,’ said a staff of Sylhet Court.
There are allegations that security guards, including Ansar members, extort money from prostitutes and drug dealers. Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Sylhet city mayor, told that the illegal structures set up in the point was beyond his knowledge.
‘If illegal establishments have been built in the point, it would have been evicted immediately. I will direct the officials concerned to evict the illegal establishments if there is any,’ he said.
