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CITY CORPORATION COMMUNITY CENTRES
Not for the COMMUNITY!
DIPAN NANDY
More than half of the capital’s residents belong to middle or lower-middle-income backgrounds. For hosting social events like weddings and birthdays, they have to rely on the city corporation’s community centres.
However, most Dhaka neighbourhoods do not have such centres, to begin with.
The two city corporations have 50 community centres in total. Of which, only 29 are currently operational, the rest either in a dilapidated state or occupied by law enforcers or city corporation offices.
According to city planners, keeping public social places closed for an indefinite period for renovations or renting them out to different organisations defeats the purpose.
The city authorities, however, claimed that they are planning to open a community centre in every ward.
NORTH CITY
Of the 14 DNCC community centres, three are used by government agencies and nine are open to citizens. The nine centres are Uttara Community Centre, Mirpur Ward-2 Community Centre, Mirpur Ward-4 Market/ Community Centre, Shaheed Commissioner Chaedur Rahman Newton Community Centre, Mohakhali Community Centre, Bir Muktijodha Asaduzzaman Khan Complex, Mirpur Ward-10 Community Centre, Abdul Halim Community Centre (Tejturipara), Souchna Community Centre and Rayerbazar Community Centre.
Meanwhile, Rab is using three community centres as their temporary offices, while Khilgaon Taltala Community Centre, Moghbazar Community Centre, Mohammadpur Community Centre and Banani Community Centre are closed for renovation.
During a recent visit, this correspondent saw that although Mohakhali Community Centre is operational, it is in a dilapidated condition, particularly the restrooms.
Although there is a car parking facility in the building’s basement, it is mostly occupied by outsiders, forcing guests to park their cars on the streets.
Apart from this, the room of Mohakhali Sporting Club has been made a part of the centre.
However, Uttara Community Centre was found to be an exception. Mohammad Amin, a resident of Uttara-5, said social events such as weddings and birthdays are regularly held there.
SOUTH CITY
DSCC has 36 community centres. Residents, however, cannot use 18 of them due to poor conditions.
Visiting the one at Paltan, this correspondent saw the three-storied building is in dilapidated condition. Meanwhile, Segun Bagicha Community Centre remains closed even after 16 years of its inauguration.
Dhanmondi Community Centre, Northbrook Hall Auditorium of Old Dhaka and Moulvibazar Community Centre are also in a sorry state.
Four, including Islambagh Community Centre and Khalil Sardar Community Centre, are currently under construction. Two more remain out of operation due to a lack of utility connection, while five are being used by law enforcers and three by the city corporation.
Mohammad Mostafa of Fakirapool area said people want to use these centres because of the relatively low rent. “But most of these places are in a sorry state, making them unfit for social gatherings,” he said.
City planner Adil Muhammad Khan said the main purpose of community centres in urban areas is to organise various socio-cultural events.
“Many community centres in our city are now occupied by various organisations. Those that are in operation are rented out only for weddings or other functions, which do not serve their primary purpose,” he added.
“The city corporation should create community centres in each area by building ward complexes and organise programmes suitable for different age groups, including children, teenagers and the elderly,” he added.
WHAT OFFICIALS SAY
Contacted, DNCC Chief Executive Officer Selim Reza said, “Some community centres have proper facilities and people are benefiting from them.”
“However, a couple of them have offices of important state agencies, which will be moved if alternative spaces are found. We are also working on modernising the centres,” he added.
Farid Ahmed, chief executive officer of DSCC, said, “We are working on setting up social centres in every ward. Some of them will soon be open to the public.”
“The process of shifting offices from these centres has also started. They will leave the community centres when they find a convenient place. The same goes for city corporation offices,” he added.