HELEMUL ALAM

Ignoring concerns raised by environmentalists, the government has constructed a around 20-foot-wide road through Osmani Udyan, connecting Fulbaria’s Phoenix Road with Abdul Gani Road to facilitate vehicular movement towards the Secretariat.

The construction, now in its final stage, has led to the removal of numerous trees within the 29-acre park, which has remained closed for the past eight years due to an ongoing “modernisation” project.

During the tenure of the interim government, a component for a July monument was added and is nearing completion. The same administration also approved the road project, which was implemented after the 13th national election.

Muntasir Mamun, executive engineer of the Eden Division of the Public Works Department, said the initiative is part of a broader plan to address acute parking shortages and space constraints inside the Secretariat.

To tackle the issue, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works has undertaken a project titled “Construction of Ground Floor Office Building of the Government Transport Department with Car Parking Facilities”, with an estimated cost of Tk 448 crore.

The proposed 20-storey building will house transport workshop operations on the basement, semi-basement, and ground floors, while the upper floors will be used for elevated parking. Floors above the 10th level may be used for offices, as parking becomes less practical at higher levels.

Mamun said the project was reviewed by the Planning Commission and sent back for revision following observations. One key recommendation was to introduce a circular, one-way traffic system to ease congestion, which led to the construction of the new road through the park.

The road project began with a special allocation in the previous fiscal year but was delayed due to time constraints. Work resumed in the 2025–26 fiscal year and is now almost complete, with only finishing work remaining, he said.

He added that only a small portion of the park is being used for vehicle movement and that no permanent structure will be built -- only open paved space. The initiative, he said, is being carried out in the “greater public interest” to reduce roadside parking and congestion around the Secretariat.

Abdus Salam, administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), said the permission was granted by a previous administration and is being implemented by the housing and public works ministry. “I will visit the site and take necessary steps,” he said.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Urban planners and environmentalists have strongly criticised the decision, warning of long-term environmental damage.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) demanded cancellation of both the road construction and the planned 20-storey parking facility within the park.

After publishing a report in The Daily Star on February 6, 2025, BELA, in a letter sent on February 9 that year, called for an immediate halt to all activities encroaching on open spaces and urged consultations with urban planners to restore public access.

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