What fate awaits Gabtoli playground?

On Wednesday evening, Anas, Shihab, and 10-12 other children were playing football on the Gabtoli field – the only playground in Dhaka North City Ward-10 – located in the Mirpur Mazar Road area. 

Donated by a landlord to a local school decades ago, Gabtoli playground is the only open space available in the locality where kids and young people play sports. However, they are now in fear of losing the field as the donor's family are now trying to take it back and occupy it with business establishments. 

Anas Mahmud, who plays on the field regularly, told The Business Standard, "This field was larger even four-five years ago. It was more than twice the size of what it is now. Gradually, various shops along with car garages have been constructed on three sides of the field, narrowing space for sports activities."

Local youth Tutul Hossain shared with TBS that garages and shops have been built occupying half of the field during the Covid-19 period. 

"We want the city corporation to free the field from encroachment and renovate it," he said.

In the recently gazetted Dhaka's Detailed Area Plan (DAP), the Gabtoli field has been identified as an open space. According to Rajuk, no one is allowed to erect any structure in the open space mentioned in the DAP, even if it is private property. 

Visiting the Gabtoli field on Wednesday, this correspondent found car garages, shops and 3-4 single-storey buildings, constructed within the field. Also, abandoned vehicles were parked. 

According to locals, the field in Gabtoli was donated by the local landlord, Munshi Lal Mia, as a waqf property to Mirpur Siddhant High School in 1931. Since then, local children, including school students, have been using the field for sports activities.

Locals said the size of the field was more than 1 acre, but now it has come down to less than 0.40 acres.

They alleged that the trustee of the waqf estate, Jahangir Alam Babla, occupied half of the field and constructed buildings and workshops during the Covid induced lockdown period.

Authorities of Mirpur Siddhant High School told TBS that though the field was donated to the school as a waqf property, it is used by students as well as locals for sports activities. However, as the field is located at a short distance from the school, students go there less frequently.

The school authorities alleged that the people who are in charge of the waqf estate are now trying to take possession of the field and carry out construction.

Chairman of the school's managing committee and councillor of Dhaka North Ward-9, Mujib Sarwar Masum told TBS, "Jahangir Alam Babla tried to take possession of the field by filing a case stating that the field is not used for sports activities anymore. Since it is a waqf property, we are unable to take any steps over it."

Contacted, Jahangir Alam Babla told TBS, "This field is our family property. So, we have the jurisdiction to implement any decision over it. If anyone can present any document [regarding the ownership], we will leave it [the field]."

Chief Town Planner of Rajuk, Md Ashraful Islam told TBS that no establishments can be made by changing the category of open spaces mentioned in the DAP, even if the property is privately owned.

"It is illegal to occupy the Gabtoli field for shop or any other purpose. The city corporation is responsible for the maintenance of the fields in the city. Although the field [in Gabtoli] is owned by an individual or organisation, the city corporation can take responsibility for its maintenance through partnership," he said.

Dhaka North Ward-10 Councillor Abu Taher told TBS, "We want to renovate this field, but we cannot take the initiative due to the ownership problem. This ward does not have any other playgrounds."