Once a vibrant recreational ground for children, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman Shishu Park in Kushtia has been languishing in sheer neglect for the past nearly 20 years with signs of decay all over it.
A very recent visit to the park found it in an utterly uncared-for state with its pathways overgrown with weeds, play equipment rusted and 15 deer confined in an unkempt cage with little visible food or water.
Local leaders and civil society activists blamed the situation to the name associated with the park, saying that successive administrations till now were deliberately oblivious of its existence as it bore the name of late president Ziaur Rahman.
They particularly blame the park鈥檚 custodian Kushtia municipality authorities for their long neglect.
They particularly blamed Anwar Ali, a five-term mayor of Kushtia municipality and a local Awami League leader who held office for more than two decades.
Although Anwar served under both Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party regimes, local people alleged that the park did not see good days even during the BNP regime despite he held the purse strings as mayor.
鈥楾he neglect is not due to lack of funds, it鈥檚 due to lack of will,鈥� said Zakir Hossain Sarkar, member secretary of Kushtia district BNP and an engineer by profession.
鈥楾his was once a place of joy. Now, fewer than 50 people visit the place on a day. It鈥檚 a wasteland now鈥� he said.
Tariqul Islam, the park鈥檚 in-charge, confirmed the decline.
鈥榃e get maybe 20 to 30 visitors daily. The deer are supposed to be fed grass every day. But we have no budget, no support,鈥� he said.
Environmental activist Khalilur Rahman Moju said, 鈥楥hildren don鈥檛 ask whose name is on the gate. They ask, 鈥淐an I swing? Can I run? Is it safe?鈥濃��
A children鈥檚 park is not about making a political statement, he said, 鈥榠t鈥檚 a basic right.鈥�
Executive engineer of Kushtia municipality Md Wahidur Rahman admitted failure of the authorities and pledged reform.
鈥榃e鈥檝e seen how Gulshan鈥檚 parks in Dhaka serve communities鈥攃lean, open, welcoming. We鈥檙e finalising a full-scale revitalisation plan. Work will begin soon,鈥� he said.