This decision comes following the Prime Minister's consent to the MCCI's proposal to look after the parks through private management.

"We have a plan for maintenance and development of city parks and road islands which we are finalising. It is just waiting the green light and the handing over could take place in the first week of March," said chief conservancy officer of the DCC Sohel Farouquee.

The DCC has already handed over a number of road islands and medians to different government agencies for maintenance because of its shortage of manpower.

The medians from Shilpa Bank Bhaban at Motijheel to Fakirapool has been given to the Ansars for maintenance. The median at Jonaki cinema hall has been handed over to the Police while the Navy is looking after the median near the naval headquarters.

Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka said that they have agreed to hand over parks to private organisations on principle. "We are now awaiting MCCI's detailed plan of beautification," he said.

A survey team has been formed to measu.re the area of the parks. "The committee will provide a detail report of the parks shortly," informed Ruhul Amin, DCC"s estate officer.

As a pilot programme -- initially a one-year venture, the MCCI has offered DCC free maintenance of three parks and one road-island to demonstrate the advantage of private sector maintenance.

The decision was made in a meeting chaired by the Mayor on February 11. This is the first step towards handing over the 46 parks under the DCC.

In a letter to the Mayor on February 14, the MCCI offered free maintenance of Pantha Kunjo adjacent to Hotel Sonargaon, the park opposite to Motijheel Adamjee Court building, Farmgate Udyan adjacent to Farmgate police box and the road-island from Dainik Bangla intersection to Rajuk building.

MCCI plans to celebrate its 100th anniversary at the end of this year by setting an example of good maintenance of parks and road islands. As beautification needs time MCCI requested the Mayor to hand over the three parks and the road island by March 31.

The environment of most of the parks in Dhaka is neither safe nor clean. Unplanned construction in every free stretch of land has also left the city dwellers with very limited open space.