PHOTO: STAR

DIPAN NANDY

Despite its name, no one could call Rasulbagh Children’s Park a place appropriate for children a few years ago. It used to be crowded with those who abused drugs, and a little rain waterlogged the whole place.

But the park has been reborn.

It was modernised under the “Jol-Sobujer Dhaka” project of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), at a cost of Tk 4.98 crore.

This 28-acre field has a place for adults to play football. The park includes a 150-metre walkway, a public plaza and a mini pavilion. A cafeteria and gymnasium are also present.

The park’s security is maintained through CCTV and WiFi facilities. DSCC has set up toilets and water-treatment plants at the site adjacent to the mosque, and there are also special arrangements for women.

Visiting the park recently, this correspondent saw children and teenagers having fun on the swing and slide. The park echoed with their laughter and excitement.

Sahir, who came to play with friends, told this correspondent that earlier, there was no place to play in the area. “Now, I can play on this field. It doesn’t take any money to play here.”

The park’s ample greenery, with its seasonal variation, will familiarise children with a variety of flowers and fruit trees. It was the local children who planted these saplings. Among them, Burmese grape (lotkon), mud-apple (sofeda), elephant apple (chalta) and star-fruit (kamranga) trees can be seen in the park.

Architect Rafiq Azam, the new designer of the park, has removed the walls around the area. He told The Daily Star that while designing, it was decided that the ground would be for everyone.

Haji Maqbool Mia, a senior resident of Rasulbagh, said earlier, there was a narrow walkway to the park. The area’s condition was poor due to small shops and various structures around the walls. The open space of the park became the dustbin of nearby houses.

“Although it was called a children’s park, there was no arrangement for children to play in the field,” he added.

He said that if it rained a little, the park would become a small waterbody. The garbage from the nearby drains and sewage line polluted the environment. Because of this, the residents suffered unbearably.

In this regard, architect Rafiq Azam said, “There are trenches under the walkway to hold rainwater. The water stored in the trench is being used for field care and other purposes.”