Children cannot even play in the streets of Dhaka  

When we imagine Gully cricket, we always get a flash of the song "Char Chokka Hoi Hoi Ball Garaiya Gelo koi?" Our beautiful childhood is associated with gully Cricket. The memory pages are filled with loud amusements and stunning events.  But the saddest part is even if we have a beautiful childhood, today's children are getting deprived of it day by day. Shayla Akhtar, a housewife-mother, shared her observations regarding gully Cricket. She said we came to Dhaka city for my husband's job 27 years back, and in these years, she has seen many changes in Dhaka's infrastructure.

Along with the increase in public reform, the number of places in Bangladesh is decreasing. People are now building houses everywhere. Due to the ruthless competition to build high-rise buildings in our country, playgrounds are disappearing, and children are even playing on the highways.

She added that playgrounds are disappearing, and our children's playing habits are changing too.  Earlier, children used to run around a lot, and it was physical exercise. Still, as there is no field in front of our house, we don't let our children out because if they play on the highways, there is a possibility of an accident.

So, we allowed them to play various indoor games at home. As a result, she faced another new experience. Because of playing online games for longer, her son's eyes used to have irritation, pain, and headaches.

He was becoming inattentive to his studies and did not want to socialize with anyone. That is why she thinks a playground is necessary for a child to be active in life.

Another experience is shared by a cricket enthusiast, Md Tasin, who just completed his SSC. He said he spent his childhood in Dhaka. He added that a unique and unforgettable sensation used to be created when playing cricket in their gully. He also mentioned that playing cricket in gully is very challenging, as there are high chances and possibilities of hitting the walls, doors, and windows.

Neighbours are often drawn to the gully to watch or join the game. They used to set their own scoring rules and regulations. gully cricket has few players, but the highest has five to six players. Cricket has few boundaries as the gully is long, and the pitch is half. On the other hand, the batsman does not get much benefit from hitting the ball.

In many cases, a six in this game is out; in many cases, it is not because it depends on the players. However, in most cases, a six is ​​out when the batsman sends the ball to a place from which it is difficult to retrieve it - such as a pond, above a tree, or someone's house.

Quarrels often occur in this game when someone is out with a fastball and does not agree to accept the result. They sometimes quarrel with the opposition team, and even after a dismissal, they return to bat.

It often gives the joy of a different experience. If someone's window breaks while playing, everyone runs away with the batted ball.

Apart from being fun, it is risky, as people use gully to move around. He does not feel safe playing on the roads, and it distracts his attention, so his parents no longer allow him to play in the streets.

However, in Dhaka, it is necessary to take the initiative via community engagement and collaboration with municipal officials to create safe play sites for our children.

To save our future generation, we must focus on this. Firstly, we must raise our voices and increase awareness among the general public about this phenomenon.

Then, we need to secure empty spaces and suggest brief street closures that can quickly fix play areas, as safety is essential. Government and non-profit organizations must take these steps to ensure child welfare. Only when we can give our children a good childhood will we be able to provide them with a secure future?

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