An exclusive playground, dedicated for the physically and mentally challenged children, lies neglected for over four years despite Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s instructions to develop the ground.
Located in the city’s north-western corner of the National Parliament building, the 4.16 acres of the playground now wears a deserted look standing next to a busy Mirpur-Dhanmandi road.
It is now over four years since the ground was handed over to authorities concerned to develop it into a playground exclusively for persons who are mentally, physically and visually challenged.
Sources said that the playground remains as it is with a brick wall boundary. It appears as a disgrace distracting the huge man-made front ground of the parliament building. Sadly, the officials responsible for developing the ground, literally have not even touched the ground for any initial construction works. Thick weeds and unwanted plants blanket the ground with a signboard that reads – ‘Playground open only to disabled persons.’
The National Foundation for Development of the Disabled Persons (NFDDP), under the Ministry of Social Welfare (MSW), is responsible for the maintenance of the playground. The land, owned by Public Works Department (PWD), was supposed to be developed at the initiative of the Ministry of Social Welfare upon a directive from the Prime Minister's Office.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had pledged to build a playground for the physical and mental development of such category of people in 2011. In its continuation, a signboard was put up there for field development work in January, 2017. Then the field was cleared for the initial works. However, for unknown reasons the actual works never took place.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), 10 percent of the developing country’s population or around 650 million people have various forms of disabilities. These people have the equal right to participate in all spheres of mainstream development and its sustainability.
They need to take part in sports and physical exercises as a part of recreation to help both their physical and mental growth. It is impossible for any nation to go forward leaving them aside.
Eight-year-old Chapol Hasan, with special abilities, always wishes to play on playgrounds but lack of such proper amusement parks in the city deprives him from fulfilling his desires. Hasan seeks therapy treatment at the Jatiya Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation (JPUF) thrice a week.
“It would be better if we had a playground having amusement facilities including Trade Mills, slippers and special instruments for the kids like mine,” said Sraboni Hasan, mother of Chapol living in Ibrahimpur in the Capital.
“We often take our child to the playgrounds near the Shapla Chattor and Shadhinota Chattor so that he can play as he wishes. However, the playgrounds there are not suitable for persons having disabilities,” she added.
Kamal, a resident of Vashantek, has a seven-year daughter. The girl needs therapy and regular exercise but she denies to participate when it is inside a room. “My daughter always prefers an open playground,” said her father.
Managing Director of JPUF, Mohammad Anisuzzaman has recently been asked why it’s taking so longer to get the ground ready. In his reply he said, “As the field is connected to the parliament area, there was some complications to hand the land over to the concerned authority. But the proposal of the playground has been handed over to the PWD to pass a bill, and we are determined to get it done as soon as possible.”
Another sports facility, an international standard stadium for the disabled was proposed for construction in 2019 titled ‘Sports Complex for Disabled’ on 12 acres land, located at South Ramchandrapur in Savar near Dhaka.
It’s said to be built at a cost of around Tk 450 crore. But the project of JPUF has not seen light yet, as it still remains as a proposal on a signboard there, reading ‘Reserved place for Sports Complex for Disabled, pledged by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’.
