DIPAN NANDY

The Muktangan, an iconic political epicentre at the heart of Dhaka, once echoed with slogans, rallies, and protest speeches.

Now, the ground lies long forgotten amid neglect, buried under garbage, surrounded by waste transfer points and encroached footpaths, and occupied by a car rental business for parking microbuses.

Visiting Muktangan recently, this correspondent found a waste management centre on one side, emitting a constant stench.

Rusted fences, dirty sidewalks, and illegally parked microbuses were seen occupying what was once a green, open field serving as a cradle of political movements from the 1980s till around 2010.

The ground has also become a common spot for drug users and vagrants. The once vibrant public space is now unrecognisable.

Despite its historical and political significance, the government has taken no visible steps to protect or preserve Muktangan.

The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) had earlier launched a development project to build a park and playground on the site, but work has remained suspended for over six months.

Visitors passing from Purana Paltan to Zero Point often look for the historic site, only to be met with disappointment and disbelief.

According to sources, Muktangan was designated as a political assembly ground soon after the Liberation War by the then government. From the anti-autocracy movement to rights protests, it became one of the most important venues for public expression in the country, particularly throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

However, the site began to lose its purpose after 2010, gradually being taken over by illegal structures, car stands, and waste facilities.

Since 2021, DSCC has been using portions of the ground as a waste transfer centre, from which garbage overflows daily, turning the ground into a muddy, unhygienic site.

Public toilets have been built on another side, while makeshift shops, a small mosque, and even a scrapyard have sprung up along the footpath. Local residents lament that the ground has now become off-limits for them.

Rahim Sheikh, a driver who parks his vehicle there, said, “We park here under our union’s rules. We have to pay monthly fees to manage everything.”

Another driver, Md Taslim added, “It used to be an open field, but now it’s impossible to keep it empty. We agree it should be freed from occupation and maintained, but we have to earn our livelihood. If the government provides an alternative space, we’ll move immediately.”

Veteran politician and Nagarik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna said, “When Muktangan was created, the idea was good -- but the space was too small for large rallies. Nonetheless, a dedicated place for assemblies is urgently needed. If it is renovated now and used again for public gatherings, it would be beneficial. The government should look into this.”

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