Idyllic Ramna Park requires further facelift

Presenting a vernal ambience in a cramped city, Ramna Park draws umpteen visitors daily. Many come at daybreak to breathe fresh air and do some exercise.

Niamul Islam, 38, a private banker, is among the morning birds at the rendezvous. He is all praise for the facilities there. However, to him, and to some others, the feelings are not unmixed.

"Once I walk on the pathway of Ramna Park, known as a lung in the heartland of the capital city of Dhaka, surrounded by roadside trees, I temporarily forget the ear-splitting and raucous hustle and bustle of the tumultuous megalopolis.

"I feel like I am visiting a deep-forested area. The newly built wooden picturesque walkway on the serene lake is also a special treat for many."

This is how Mr Niamul, who has visited the park for the past 19 years, portrays a picture of the park. He visits the park between 8:00 am and 10:00 am every morning for exercise.

Lauding some recent developments in the forested Ramna Park with a lake at the centre, he says some charities have voluntarily built different exercise zones in the park where their members come and do exercises regularly.

Likening the park to green heart of Dhaka, Mr Islam says although security is tight, untoward incidents often occur at night-time, which need an immediate remedy by the park authorities.

Ramna is regarded as one of the coolest areas in Dhaka as its temperature remains two to three degrees less than in areas like Motijheel, Gulshan and Gulistan, according to a study.

A veritable carbon sink, the park has sizeable flora and fauna with an area of 68.50 acres dotted with 151 distinct types of plant species-71 species of trees, shrubs and herbs, 41 species of forestry, and 33 species of medicinal plants.

On course of the development of the park, the old lake located inside the park has been excavated and a modern deck with two lanes, red ceramic-brick road, a culvert, and a bituminous carpet road have been built.

Modernised toilets, coffee corners, sitting benches and directions have been installed inside the park for the convenience of visitors.

Newly-decorated kids' area with modern sports equipment for children is set up. State-of-the-art LED displays have been installed to entertain the travellers through and visitors to the lush-green Ramna Park. Lampposts and modern lights have been set up to illuminate the park in the evening.

Spick-and-span environment on the walkways and in and around the park has taken different looks nowadays. Neat and clean washroom facilities have been ensured, fulfilling a longstanding demand from the regular visitors.

Security inside the park has been beeped up.

Public Works Department implemented a Tk 479.6-million project titled 'Infrastructural development of Ramna Park at Dhaka and overall beautification including Ramna Lake' to give a facelift to the park that also hosts different national carnivals.

Wali Ullah Oli, secretary, Ujjibon Bangladesh, a social organisation that had its inception in 2006 inside the park haunts, is happy that the facilities like walkways, some sheds, and exercise equipment have increased with the passage of time.

Several hundred floating girls gather on the wooden bridges on the lake at night though lighting system and security cameras are installed there, he said.

He feels that such "immoral acts ought to be stopped by hook or by crook to ensure the awesome atmosphere of the park".

"When visitors or travellers see some signs of illegal acts in the morning, they feel embarrassed," Oli argues.

Around 200 members of the organisation take part in morning exercise every day.

Ujjibon arranges different cultural functions on occasions and takes part in different social and humanitarian acts, according to him.

"The government has yet to develop the park as more child-friendly, which we see in countries like China and EU countries," Wali claims, while appreciating that neat and clean washroom facilities inside it have been superbly built.

Rafiqul Islam, a 60-year-old trainer working at the park for nearly 30 years, said around 50,000 people visit this park at daybreak regularly for exercise.

The government planned to build a swimming-pool and gymnasium, but it scrapped the plan without reason, he said.

"Exercise facilities were built here by either different social organisations or privately," he says.

Opposing park authorities shutting down the park during noon, he feels that they should keep open the park from morning to evening.

However, park authorities are not paying heed, he laments.

A total of 68 different social organisations have come up centring the park, he says.

Md Imran Ali, an Ansar member who was on duty, said the security has been beefed up in the park with 35 Ansar members on vigil round the clock to ensure the security of visitors.

Talking to the FE, Md. Jamilur Rahman, Superintending Engineer, Dhaka PWD Circle-1, said the government has no immediate plan to start new development works in the park.

The PWD completed the recent development project in consultation with stakeholders, including botanists. There is no probability of any harm to the biodiversity due to newly-built wooden walkways, according to Mr Rahman.

Regarding the noontime park closure he said the Ministry of Housing and Public Works took the decision.

"We have nothing to do with the decision," he said.

He is not aware of the fact that some government high officials and influential people are only allowed in the park during the time of off-limits.

Terming the park a garden, not a recreational centre, IPD executive director Prof Adil Mohammed Khan, also an urban planner, says it should be developed naturally keeping its original natural looks.

Dr Adil suggests keeping Ramna Park open round the clock considering welfare of the city-dwellers.

"I've heard that some government high officials and influential people have easy access to the park when it shuts down at noon," he regrets.

Describing it as "a clear violation of our constitution and evidence of discrimination", he said it should be open to people from all walks of like.

Multi-stakeholder professionals like botanists and urban planners should be engaged in designing any plan to develop any artificial structures, he says.

"Before taking any development activity in the park, related stakeholders should be consulted for the sake of natural conservation of the park."

Regarding nocturnal immoral acts, Dr Adil says such "nuisance should be stopped anyway to improve the park's serene ambience."

Greenish ambience appears to be declining. Visitors observed that old and big trees are falling but no replacement of such trees is made by the authorities.

The greenery in the park has decreased over 50 per cent, Rafiqul said.

The greenery and greenish ambience like trees has declined over 60 per cent, but no new trees are planted after old trees were felled, Wali Ullah pointed out.

Large-scale tree planting is required to make the historic park more tranquil and serene, Mr Oil says.

Professor Adil says the government should ensure green ambience by planting new and good species of trees.

The way new wooden walkways and other artificial facilities were developed it harmed the biodiversity as well as the centuries-old natural beauty of the park, the urban planner argues.

Different animal species will be affected due to wooden walkways, he views.

PWD official Jamilur does not believe that the green ambience was diminishing.

However, Mr Jamilur says the PWD is planting some trees in replacement of some old trees that fall down naturally sometimes.

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