<i>Lone Rangamati children's park now virtually a grazing field</i>
The lone children's park in Rajasthali upazila in Rangamati has turned into a virtual grazing field for lack of proper maintenance for a long time.Photo: STAR
Rajasthali Shishupark, the lone recreation centre for children at the upazila headquarters, has remained off limits to children for six months while a section of unscrupulous locals have turned it into a virtual grazing field. As the worn out and damaged rides and other equipment of the children's park became risky for children, authorities closed the park in early May this year, officials said. In absence of proper maintenance, the park in front of the 'upazila officers club' is fast losing its greenery. In 1989, local unit of Bangladesh Army set up the park at a cost of Tk 15 lakh on 40 decimals of land with arrangement for playing for about one hundred children. Ten riding tools including cradles and ladders were installed for recreation. There were also a good number of fruit-bearing trees including guava, amloki (a sour fruit), blackberry and plum. Children could pass time amid great merriment, enjoying the rides and having relishing bites of fruits, locals said. Earlier local upazila administration carried out maintenance works of the park, including repair of the rides, but the amusement items have hardly seen any repair during the last 10 years, sources said. "Two of my kids earlier went to play in the park. But the authority has locked the park due to its dilapidated condition," said Sobinoy Chakma, upazila jubo unnayan officer. Even the fruit trees in the park have been cut down, said Regrai Marma, a resident of the upazila sadar. He demanded immediate steps for repair of the park and opening it for children. "As a few children were hurt while riding the broken and worn out equipment, we had to close the park. We could not go for its repair or maintenance due to lack of fund,” Md Habib, an official of the UNO office, said. Rajasthali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mahbubur Rahman Habib said that they would take step to repair the park if fund is available.
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