‘Moral policing’ by Ansars in Ramna Park irritates visitors

Al Amin and his wife had gone on an outing to Ramna Park. The first anniversary of their marriage was only a few days ago, but they had been unable to take the time off work. Instead, they decided to go to the park on May Day, a public holiday. But their date ended in frustration and embarrassment with an ‘enlightening’ lecture from an Ansar member.

Al Amin was chatting with his wife when he put his head on her lap. She began caressing his hair. Then he heard a shout.

“Hey! You! Sit upright! You can’t sit like that here.”

“I was so embarrassed with the Ansar’s attitude,” Al Amin said. “What law prevents people from lying in a park with their head on their wives’ lap?”

Many people have had experiences similar to Al Amin during visits to the park with their partners, but have not protested due to fear of a negative reaction.

Another man named Al Amin, who came from Gulistan, shared similar feelings about the Ansar personnel at the park.

“You have to be kind of terrified about the Ansars here. They give you such a bizarre look if they see you holding the hand of your partner on a walk. It feels like they’re ready to say something at any time. If we aren’t allowed to hold hands with a partner, they should put up a notice saying no one can visit the park with a partner,” he said.

Complaints of misbehaviour and an intrusive attitude have been raised against the Ansar members who were deployed in Ramna Park to ensure the safety and security of the park and its visitors.

Mahmud Hossain Apu complained that he was harassed at the entrance.

People aren’t allowed to bring food to the park, he said, and the Ansars checked his wife’s handbag and misbehaved with her.

“The Ansars should change their behaviour. They should undergo training on how to behave with the citizens,” Mahmud said.

“I come to the park to get some fresh air with my family. But the Ansars’ attitude only leads to me being embarrassed in front of my family.”

Urban planner Nazrul Islam believes Ansars should never behave like this.

“Couples will spend time in the park while maintaining the social norms and rules. They’ll chat and exchange feelings among themselves. Why would the security staff prevent them from doing so?”

“People should maintain decency when they sit in a park. They should follow the social norms. We don’t need the security staff members policing that. They should change their attitude and stop misbehaving,” he said.

Ramna Park is run by the Department of Public Works. When asked if the Ansar members were ordered to ‘monitor the visitors’ in the park, Deputy Assistant Engineer Md Shihab said no one was given such responsibility.

Asked how they decided the social norms for the park, he said, “My job is to look after the maintenance of the park. No one is designated to enforce the law in the park.”

“With the help of the Ansars, we try to maintain a disciplined environment. We take on the responsibility and try to look after everything. But I am not designated to enforce the law here, and no one else is.”

Asked why they had opted for ‘moral policing’, the Ansars said they could not make an individual statement.

But one Ansar member, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was proud about their role.

“We work to maintain the proper ambience of the park. We keep a sharp eye on things so that people don’t feel embarrassed when they visit the park with their families,” he said.

bdnews24.com spoke to Md Abidul Hasan Shimul, Ansar and VDP officer of the Ramna Police Station, about the harassment of Ramna Park visitors by Ansars.

“Ansar members are taught the do’s and don’ts at different camps when they are appointed. If anyone does anything after that, they should take responsibility for it. We’ll take necessary action if we receive a specific complaint against an Ansar.”