Shishu Park closed for a year for modernisation

DOT Desk: The Shishu Park at Shahbag, the lone public sector children’s amusement park in the capital, was closed for a year due to modernisation activities, causing the visitors to turn back in disappointment, reports The New Age.
The entry of the park was made off-limits to visitors from first week of January 2018, since the modernisation activities were underway, according to park’s officials.
The modernisation project of the park was initiated with the aim of a complete overhaul. All of the old equipments and rides would be replaced by new ones, the park assistant engineer Md Zakir Hossain told New Age.
The modernisation scheme is a component of a one-year project titled ‘Building Liberation Monument in Suhrawardi Udyan (3rd phase)’ initiated by Liberation War Affairs Ministry at a cost of Tk 265.44 crore, according to the project documents.
The ministry in collaboration with Dhaka South City Corporation and Public Works Department under Housing and Public Works Ministry were implementing the project, it said.
It was found last week that the entry to the park was off-limits for visitors and people in groups were wondering outside the entry gate. Hawkers and street vendors were found selling hand-made toys and food items the visitors usually relish.
The flow of recreation-seeking visitors was unremitting, including children, adults who were being turned away.
Johurul Islam, who came from Jatrabari area of the capital with his wife and a child were stopped at the gate of the park by the gatemen.
Omer Faruk and Tanzil Hasan, students of a private college in Dhaka, who came to visit the park, had to be satisfied by spending time in gossiping, sitting at a coffee shop adjacent to the park entrance.
Though the visitors were a bit displeased over not being allowed to enter, they expressed satisfaction over the modernisation activities.
Built on the 15-acres stretch of land, Shishu Park is the first government-funded amusement hub. Established in 1979 and named Zia Shishu Park after its launch, it was later renamed as ‘Shaheed Zia Shishu Park’ after his assassination in 1981, said officials.
Further down the line, in 1983, they said that the park came under the supervision of Dhaka City Corporation and was renamed as Shishu Park in March 2018, the officials said.
Compared to other private run parks in Dhaka, the Shishu Park is the only amusement centre for the children of low- and middle-income families within affordable costs.
A total of 15 rides, among which four were managed privately, lost their expiration around two decades earlier.
The park, despite offering oldest and outdated rides, still tops the least of the preferable recreation hubs for children as well as elderly people in the city.
DSCC superintending engineer (mechanical circle) Md Anisur Rahman, however, said they had initiated the development work with the aim of a complete overhaul of the park.
‘The old rides would all be replaced with 13 latest rides set up by a foreign construction company, he said.
Besides the modernisation of the Shishu Park, construction of an underground parking lot for 600 cars, walkway with waterfall, underpass, masque, food stalls are part of the project, according to the project documents.
The project implementation period was set from January 2018 to December 2019, it mentioned.