Fate of Anwara Park hangs in balance

At a time when the capital already has a scarcity of parks, playgrounds, and open spaces, yet another park is struggling to survive.
Anwara Park, in Dhaka's Farmgate, happens to be the only breathing space in the area.
Since the end of 2018, the park has been used by the Metro Rail authorities to store construction materials and for other project-related purposes.
The Agargaon-Motijheel section of the Metro Rail (MRT-6) opened to the public on November 5 last year.
While experts demanded preservation of the park, considering its location and the present condition of the city, metro rail authorities intend to turn it into a plaza or shopping complex.
The interest of metro rail authorities is against the existing rules like Playground, Open Space, Park and Natural Water Reservoir Conservation Act, 2000. According to law, changing the character of a park is not allowed, and hence the place should be kept as it was.
"There was a plan to construct an office and shopping mall on the land, but we have proposed to the Nagar Unnayan Committee of Rajuk to keep it as a plaza without constructing any physical structure," said Fazle Reza Sumon, former president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners.
"With some supermarkets around the place, alongside the landing station of the elevated expressway and metro rail station, a plaza should be developed in the middle," he added.
Adil Mohammed Khan, president of BIP, said the authorities concerned had earlier promised to return the place as a park after using it for the metro rail project, but now they intend to construct a shopping mall there.
"The interest of metro rail authorities is against the existing rules like Playground, Open Space, Park and Natural Water Reservoir Conservation Act, 2000. According to law, changing the character of a park is not allowed, and hence the place should be kept as it was," he said.
"A park or playground beside a metro rail is very suitable as the Farmgate area is very congested and most people will use the rail from this station. The design of the place should be done considering this," he said, adding that there are other places across the city for commercial activities but not enough open spaces.
City dwellers will not accept anything else except the park at its place, he added.
Recently, locals formed a human chain to demand that the area remain a park.
The PWD had earlier given the place to city corporation as a park, and it will have to be kept that way; it is the demand of the people, said Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Md Atiqul Islam.
He said he asked the DNCC officials to put up a signboard there mentioning the space as a park.
The lease contract for the park with DNCC was not renewed after former mayor Annisul Huq passed away, he noted.
"We have enough shopping malls, but we need open spaces and parks for our future generations. We have also issued a letter to the PWD in this regard," Atiqul added.
PWD chief engineer Mohamad Shamim Akhter said metro rail authorities proposed constructing a shopping complex, but DNCC wants to keep the park. The government will decide, he added.
Contacted, MAN Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd, said they have already prepared a layout for station plaza.
Asked about DNCC's opposition, he said, "We are in talks with them. They have expressed interest to work with us on this issue."
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