Environmental activists under the banner of the ‘Field, Park and Reservoir Protection Movement’ have issued a strong protest against the recent agreement between Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Gulshan Youth Club. In a letter sent to DNCC and several key ministries on Sunday (August 31) the activists urged authorities concerned to reclaim Shaheed Tajuddin Smriti Park (Previously known as Gulshan Central Park) from the club’s illegal occupation, calling the deal unlawful, corrupt and detrimental to public interest.
The activists argue that the agreement blatantly defies several court rulings which declared the club’s structures on park land illegal. They stress that renting out public parks is prohibited by law, yet the deal not only legitimised unauthorised constructions but also handed a public asset to a private club for profit-making. Such actions, they contend, violate the Field, Park and Reservoir Conservation Act 2000, DNCC’s contractual obligations with Rajuk and Section 80(1)(g) of the City Corporation Act 2009, amounting to corruption under the Anti-Corruption Act.
The letter further recalls a High Court ruling in Writ Petition No. 2891 of 2013, where on August 31, 2022, the court ordered demolition of all unauthorised structures at Plot No. 130A, Gulshan Avenue. Activists allege that the club hide this verdict when signing the March 6, 2024 agreement with DNCC, constituting fraud and contempt of court.
They demanded that DNCC, Rajuk and management’s advisers take immediate action against the club within seven working days to restore the park’s existence and uphold the rule of law.
