Ramna Buddhi Protibondhi Biddalay students protest construction of high-rise on playground

The students and parents of the Ramna Buddhi Protibondhi Biddalay have protested against the planned construction of a high-rise building in the school playground this morning (25 December).

The students brought out a rally in the Eskaton Garden Road area chanting slogans, demanding their playground be used for sports.

Zarin, 17, an athlete and a student of this school who plays Bocce, a ball game for people with special needs, was among those who staged the protest. She plays so well that she won two gold medals in the Special Olympics held in New Delhi in September this year.

"She won a gold medal in the doubles and another in a team playing Bocce," said Tahmina Parveen, the school's head teacher (acting).

According to her, Ramna Buddhi Protibondhi Biddalay students won four gold medals and one bronze in bocce alone this year.

However, it was these students, their teachers, and parents who took to the streets on the sideline of the 48th SWID Day 2024, which was held on the same field that they fear a high-rise building would be built on.

"All these achievements happened because of this playground. This is where our students practise," said Tahmina, also a national coach for the Special Olympics.

Photo: Md. Tajul Islam

This matter of constructing a building on the playground isn't new either.

"They gave this land to Dom-Inno in 2006 to build a high-rise building. However, this land was donated solely for the education of children with special needs. So, the parents protested, and the construction was delayed," she said.

"We even have court documents saying no commercial high-rise building can be constructed on this land," Tahmina further said.

On 30 March 2011, Faruk Abdullah, father of a student of the school, took the matter to the Supreme Court.

According to court documents obtained by The Business Standard, a bench led by Justice Mohammad Anwarul Haque and Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury declared the very attempt and agreement for the construction of a multi-storied building in 4 Eskaton Garden Road "without lawful authority."

In the hearing, the court said, "In no way respondent no 2 or 5 or any other person can be allowed to construct a commercial building except the building as required for the betterment of the special-needs person to accommodate the school and their student, keeping the adjacent land as their playground."

On 31 January 2016, the matter was taken to the appellate division for a review by the Society for the Welfare of the Intellectually Disabled (SWID) Bangladesh, the organisation that established the school, according to the civil petition for leave to appeal.

The Appellate Division dismissed this petition as well.