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SYLHET, Dec 30: At last, the much-desired children park in the Sylhet divisional city suburban Alampur area is going to be formally inaugurated soon.
Sources said, it would help meet a long standing demand for the children of the city and its surrounding area after decade.
The story began in 2006 as Tk 175.1 million was sanctioned for establishment of the 'Saifur Rahman Shishu Park'.
The Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) started the job at Alampur on a 3.77 acre land on Sylhet-Zakiganj road. Land filling, power substation, boundary wall and construction of the main gate cost Tk 55.1 million till 2009.
Since then the works remained suspended for years after the 'one eleven' trouble, sources informed. For complexities like indecision on the part of authorities the rides could not be set, which caused withdrawal of Tk 120 million from the sanctioned amount.
The project had remained abandoned for eight years even after completion of the infrastructural works.
The SCC took steps for resuming the incomplete works in 2014. The then finance minister AMA Muhith, also the lawmaker from Sylhet sadar wrote a DO to the LGRD minister for completing the works.
The SCC then resumed setting of the rides from November 07, 2017 and assured of completing things in six months. But it could not be ready even two years after the completion of setting the rides.
A SCC official, preferring anonymity, said complexities arose as the park was first named after the then finance minister M Saifur Rahman. During the period of suspension many parts of the park's power substation were stolen.
Then the SCC attempted for naming it as Sylhet Natural Park. However, at last the facility has been named 'Sheikh Hasina Shishu Park'.
Tk 200 million has so far been spent for establishment of the park. Already about 15 rides were set while some parts of some of the rides had gone either inoperative or were stolen.
Electricity supply system had been set from alternate sources. After some initial tests, the authority would go for a formal inauguration soon, sources added.