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People are seen sitting along a walkway inside Bahadur Shah Park in Old Dhaka. (Inset) However, facilities such as this water fountain have fallen into disrepair due to poor upkeep, with many unauthorised street vendors having set up shop in the area as well. - COLLECTED PHOTO
Amid the bustle of Old Dhaka, Bahadur Shah Park remains one of the few green spaces where residents can pause, students can rest, older people can walk, and families can spend time away from the city's congestion.
However, a recent visit found the park hemmed in by encroachment, littered with waste, and poorly lit, making the park, known for its links to the history of the Sepoy Mutiny, increasingly unwelcoming to the people it is meant to serve.
The trouble begins at the very entrance. At least 25 temporary shops selling tea, cigarettes, and betel leaves, some of which also serve rice and khichuri, line the walkway outside the park. Their goods, chairs, tables, and customers have taken over large parts of the footpath, leaving pedestrians little room to walk.
Inside the boundary, around 10 more vendors sell jhalmuri, ice cream, and cigarettes, which visitors say makes the situation worse. Smoke and the smell of cigarettes from the tea stalls drift into the park, exposing children, elderly visitors, and anyone who comes to rest to second-hand smoke.
Rubbish is a visible problem both inside and outside the park. Several waste bins were found broken, with rubbish scattered around them. Most of the lights also appeared to be out of order during the visit, raising concerns for women, students, and older people, as the park remains open from day to night.
The frequent presence of vagrants, homeless people, and drug users creates further challenges. During the visit, it was found that the main monument and its base were occupied by vagrants, raising safety concerns, particularly for women and children.
Visitors expressed discomfort and strongly urged the authorities to protect the park's environment. They said that rest and shelter for people with nowhere else to go are basic human needs, but a historic monument is not a substitute for a shelter. Mohammad Selim, who occasionally brings his child to the park, said the space matters to families but is difficult to enjoy in its present state.
“The park needs to be managed better while preserving both its historical significance and environment,” he said.
Sharmin Akter, a university student who often visits the park, also voiced concern about mismanagement.
“We cannot even sit comfortably here because cigarette smoke from the tea stalls adjacent to the park reaches us,” she said.
She urged the authorities to ensure a safe environment, saying the cigarette-selling stalls should be removed immediately so people can use the park comfortably.
Akhtaruzzaman Khan, member-secretary of the Bahadur Shah Park and Heritage Conservation Struggle Council, said shops had been evicted from the park some time ago, but efforts to lease out the space were still underway.
“We submitted a memorandum to the city corporation in August, putting forward 13 demands, including the removal of commercial establishments from the park. Let’s see what happens,” he said.
He said the council had previously proposed turning the park into a small museum, as it contained relics of the Sepoy Mutiny. A museum centred on the memorial could also have been established, but no such initiative had been taken, he added.
“The environment is dirty and rife with drug use,” he said, adding that this was completely incompatible with the atmosphere of a park and was condemnable.
Rajib Khadem, superintendent engineer of Dhaka South City Corporation, said the corporation did not have dedicated personnel to manage each park separately.
“We need to recruit staff and bring parks and playgrounds under a proper management system,” he said. Regarding the haphazard establishment of shops and stalls, he said, “The administrator is very strict about this, and all such unauthorised shops will be evicted.”
He also said the overall management of the park would be discussed by the relevant authorities, as the issue had once again come to their attention.