The park was made off-limits to visitors in November 2004 for renovation and beautification under the Dhaka City Beautification Project for the Saarc summit.

Arkay Group was tasked with the beautification and maintenance of the park and its adjoining area. The organisation beautified the park dividing it into two parts -- Panthakunja Park and Panthakunja Plaza near Saarc fountain.

Although the DCC mayor formally opened the park and plaza on January 12 this year, Arkay Group mysteriously put the entrance to both the parts under lock and key.

"We will open it soon, that's all I can say now. We need little more time," said Rudess Karim, managing director, Arkay Group. He however declined to explain the cause for keeping the park off-limits to visitors for such a long time.

"I used to come here for morning walk but I was compelled to go to Ramna Park after the authorities started the renovation work. After three months I stopped morning walk because Ramna is far from my house," said Ashraul Alam, a resident of Kanthalbagan.

Officials of Arkay Group in March this year said that they were waiting for the grass to grow inside the park. They promised at that time that they would open both the park and plaza by May 2005, well before the Saarc summit.

Then they showed the security for Saarc summit as an excuse. The grasses have now grown and the summit is over, but the park is still closed.

Even the officials and the security guards deployed by Arkay Group at the park admitted that they are receiving complaints from the locals about its closure. They said the higher authorities seem to be reluctant to reopen the park.

"Many people come to the park every day with a hope that the park is open. But they have to go back as the guards have been instructed not to allow any one to enter the park or the plaza," said an official of Arkay Group.

Mysteriously, the DCC, the owner of the park, is now silent over the issue. Eight months ago when Star City published two reports on this park, the DCC officials promised to reopen the park 'immediately,' but no steps have been taken so far.

When conducted, the Dhaka City Beautification Cell (DCBC) officials said they will open the park soon, but none of them could specify a concrete date.

"There is no reason to keep this park closed unnecessarily. There must be a reason behind it. Anyway, we will soon open it," said Sohel Faruqiue, member secretary of DCBC.

But he could not explain the reason why the park was kept closed for more than 11 months after the completion of its renovation and beautification.

Faruquie however apprehend that when the park will be opened, floating people will come back and destroy the park's environment. "This area is now in a tiptop condition."

"If beautification means public cannot use a park at all, what is the benefit of renovation," wondered Humayun Kader, a resident of Bangla Motor.