HC questions authorities on reopening of Ramna Park

The High Court today wanted to know why the government authorities concerned are not reopening Ramna Park in Dhaka.

The court verbally asked Deputy Attorney General Nur-Us Sadik to collect information from the authorities on this issue and share it on September 24.

The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam passed the verbal order during a hearing on a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Eunus Ali Akond.

The bench also fixed the date for further hearing on the petition.

On September 8, advocate Akond filed the petition with the HC seeking its directive on the secretary of the housing and public works ministry to reopen Ramna Park in the capital in 24 hours.

He submitted the petition as a public interest litigation praying to the HC to issue a rule asking the housing and public works secretary to explain why the closure of Ramna Park should not be declared illegal.

In the petition, the lawyer said the housing and public works secretary has violated the freedom of people's free movement -- guaranteed by article 36 of the constitution -- by closing the park.

Citing the petition, SC lawyer Akond told The Daily Star that the park has been launched during the Mughal regime for peoples' movement.

The government has closed the park in March this year in order to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Locals cannot walk, exercise or run in the park as it is still now closed, although all offices and streets have already been reopened, he said in the petition.