Ramna Park: Why is there a time restriction?
Ramna Park, also known as the "green heart" of Dhaka and maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD), remains closed to people during certain hours of the day, even though Covid-related restrictions have been lifted from other parks.
"It does not make sense that all other parks in the capital are open all the time, but Ramna Park is still closed for certain hours of the day," said Jahirul Haque, a public university teacher.
According to a notice stuck to the gate of the park, it is open to people from 6:30am to 12:30pm and then from 2:00pm to 8:00pm.
During a recent visit to the park, this correspondent witnessed a concerning situation, where families and individuals seeking entry had congregated near the park's entrance.
Despite their requests, the guards denied them entry.
In Dhaka, the scarcity of public places remains one of the major problems, yet people are not being able to utilise the capital's largest park to the fullest.
Many individuals waiting at the gate shared their experiences with this correspondent.
For example, Jahanara Khatun travelled from Narayanganj to Dhaka for a medical appointment. She was waiting for her relative to accompany her, so she was looking for a suitable place to rest.
"I came to the park and approached the guard, explaining that I was exhausted and need a place to wait. Despite ardent requests, and waiting nearly an hour to get in, I was denied entry," said Jahanara.
Sneha Khan, a National University student, said, "The problem with those of us who live far away is that we struggle to arrive on time."
Altaf Hossain, a retired government officer, shared his experience of being halted by a security guard when he needed to rest after walking for more than 20 minutes. Unable to access the park, he was forced to sit on the footpath.
Abdul Motaled, a private university teacher, said, "I wish the park officials would listen to our concerns and make changes accordingly."
Adil Mohammed Khan, a professor of urban and regional planning at Jahangirnagar University, said, "In Dhaka, the scarcity of public places remains one of the major problems, yet people are not being able to utilise the capital's largest park to the fullest," he said.
Contacted, Monirul Islam, deputy assistant engineer at PWD and in-charge of the park, said, "I have recently joined this position and I'm unaware of when the time restriction will be lifted."
"However, the higher authorities would better understand when the restriction will be withdrawn," he added.Despite repeated attempts via phone and text messages, this correspondent could not get in touch with the secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
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