Ramna Park remains closed most of the time
The park is one of the few open green spaces for city dwellers’ pastime
People coming to visit Ramna Park in the capital have expressed their displeasure over keeping the park open only for a specific time of the day.
After the beginning of the Covid pandemic in the country in March 2020, the park was closed to stem the spread of coronavirus.
The park has been opened in the face of criticism from the city dwellers for keeping it closed even after the pandemic situation improved, but people cannot visit it most of the time of the day.
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The authorities are now keeping the park open in the morning and the afternoon only.
Rafiqul Islam comes to the park regularly to exercise.
He told The Business Standard, "Since the park is near my home, I used to come here regularly in the evening after finishing my day's work.
"The park has reopened after remaining closed during the lockdown except for two times a day. Now I can only come to the park during weekly holidays. There is no logic behind keeping the park closed most of the time without any reason."
Retired official Sajjad Hossain told TBS, "It was not right to close the park even during the pandemic. Many people have to exercise regularly due to various problems including blood pressure and diabetes. As the park was closed for a long time during the pandemic, many people have become irregular. Although it has been reopened after the pandemic situation improved, all the gates are not open."
Situated on an area of 68.5 acres in the heart of the capital, the Ramna Park is one of the few open green spaces for entertainment and pastime of the city dwellers. People of all ages from different areas in the capital come here every day to spend their leisure time.
On Saturday, several youngsters from a cycling group from Keraniganj came to visit the park and found it closed. Zahid Hasan, one of the cyclists, said, "We heard it has been reopened after the pandemic. But coming at noon, we saw all the park gates were closed. Ansar members said it will be open from 3 pm. After waiting for a long time, we were able to enter the park."
Visiting Ramna Park recently, it was found that most of the gates of the vast park were closed. A notice hung on the gates read, "The park will be open from 6 am to 11 am and from 3 pm to 7:30 pm." As a result, visitors to the park are unable to enter it other than the specified time.
Several Ansar members in-charge of the security of the park said earlier all the gates in the park were open, but some gates are now closed due to the ongoing repair work.
Sohanur Rahman, the sub-divisional engineer of the Public Works Department, told TBS, "Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, the park remained closed at various times. For some days, it was open for a specific time of the day. Now it is open two times a day, from 6 am and 3 pm. So, it is normal that people coming to visit the park would react."
"There is still work to be done in the park, some repair works of the park are still due. It probably will be completed by June. The authorities might make a decision then," he added.
