How Shahabuddin Park became a centrepiece of Dhaka’s park movement

Over the last few years, there has been a visible attempt by city authorities to build, refurbish and renovate parks and open spaces around Dhaka. In an overcrowded and polluted city, these parks offer city dwellers a breathing space to counter the relentless pace and pressures of urban life.

It is, however, easier said than done. While most such projects look good on paper; getting the parks in shape on time, protecting them from vested groups and most importantly, ensuring upkeep and maintenance, is a tall order.

Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park in Gulshan 2, however, has so far managed to live up to its promise. Over the last couple of years, JSAP has not only experienced a facelift - an amphitheatre, Kid's Zone, a basketball court, bookshop and a cafe dot the overwhelmingly green landscape - but it has also become a hub for events where the awareness about mental health, history and charitable causes are often held.

JSAP has so far managed to maintain the delicate balance between being an open space for people to immerse themselves in nature, as well as offer enough entertainment and activity so that people of all ages and backgrounds find something to engage with.

This task of managing this delicate balance, for the last year and a half, has fallen on 5R Securex Consortium and its bold CEO Junaid Rahman. 

Having completed the renovation in 2020, DNCC took an unusual decision in 2022 to delegate the management of the park to the private company - a decision which has the promise to become a model for the future management of parks. 

While DNCC remains the overarching authority responsible for the space, the partnership with the private company has allowed room for efficiency and innovation in day-to-day management of the park. Together, they have breathed a new lease of life into the park, which has led many to describe JSAP as one of the best managed parks in the city.

"Our job is to offer  a safe, stimulating environment and a well-functioning park to the residents of Dhaka," says Junaid.

For Junaid - an Ivy League graduate who lived abroad for over a decade - this is also personal. Having grown up in Dhaka in the 1980s and 1990s he has fond memories of spending hours in the parks and open fields that were once abundant in Dhaka. Living abroad, he saw how parks and open spaces play a vital role in ensuring the physical and mental health of city dwellers. It is commitment to bringing that lifeline back to the new generation that motivated him to take up this difficult task.   

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

What was the initial vision of the park and how has it evolved over the last year and a half?

We can see a broader effort to rejuvenate public spaces in Dhaka North as part of the Honourable Mayor Atiqul Islam's vision. All over Dhaka, parks are being renovated, redesigned and reopened. Dhaka North city corporation has embarked on a mission to provide more parks and playgrounds, as well as adding more green space to the city. I grew up in Dhaka, at a time when parks and playgrounds were plentiful and I wholeheartedly believe in this vision.

At Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park, this journey has taken on a life of its own with people recognising our efforts by coming to the park more and more. We want their park experience to be associated with positive things like  physical fitness, mental health, family bonding and community building (amongst many other wonderful things). 

The Mayor is deeply passionate about making our parks serve the needs of the people of Dhaka and Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park is a critical part of that story. Our success in this space will leave a lasting positive impact on future generations.

Even though times are generally tough globally, Bangladesh is confidently striding towards middle income status. Thanks to the drive of our visionary Prime Minister, we are enjoying the fruits of the Padma Bridge, Elevated Expressway and Metro Rail. Is it not exactly the right time to emphasise the importance of community building? And that growth is not just financial or economic, but also emotional and qualitative. 

All over the world, parks and playgrounds play a vital role in the answering of this very question both socially and ecologically. Therefore, it is most important that the vision of this project be deeply entwined with the birth, evolution and sustainable progress of the Parks and Playgrounds movement for the city and the country. 

The park has become a hub for many different kinds of events throughout the year. What was the idea behind organising / allowing such events?

Truth be told, we are extremely rigid with events.  Barring exceptions, we allow events that align with the Mayor's vision for parks, in supporting mental health awareness, charitable causes, music and community building, historically and culturally important days for our country, but all of this in a way that builds community and serves people. 

We are aware that the environment in the park is attracting a lot of people to events, and this increases the traffic load in the area. But we are extremely process and detail oriented when it comes to approving events and take these things into account.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

What are the future plans for the park?

When we first started managing the park, we had no idea that our efforts to provide a safe and stimulating environment would end up making it so popular. Every day, people are showing their support for the Park in the most important way one can show support for a park: by visiting it. 

The intention is to assess the strengths and lessons from our 18 months of managing this park, and to continue improving the park experience, ensuring we stay connected to the broader vision we are seeing from the Mayor. We are working with the city corporation and the Dhaka Metropolitan police to improve the traffic situation outside of the park.

Most importantly, we have to protect Dhaka's green spaces. We are planting more trees all around the park, adding elements of sustainability (like rainwater harvesting and a modern waste management process). 

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

Some parks in Dhaka are overrun by commercial establishments. The Shahabuddin park has a bookstore and café. What is the right balance when it comes to recreational open spaces like parks?

Less is better. We have kept the commercialisation element to a minimum. Coffeeshops are common in parks all over the world. And tea is culturally relevant for us. 

If you go to Hyde Park in London, Central Park in New York, or for that matter any of the world's parks that attract people to come spend a few hours of relaxation with family and friends, there are coffee shops and restaurants. Parks have to serve the needs of the people who visit them - this is common sense. And we wanted the tea and coffee sold at JSA Park to be of the highest quality and chose industry leaders to provide this service. 

The Bookworm story is different. As supported by the park designers, we were looking to bring a concept involving books and reading to the park. At the same time, Bookworm was having difficulty with their lease in the Old Airport Road location. The Mayor saw the connection very quickly between a bookstore and the values of the park; and gave his support in making it real. How wonderful is a beautiful bookstore next to a lovely childrens playground? 

In the world we live in, the survival of a brick and mortar bookstore is difficult; this will be seen as a wonderful cultural contribution in years to come.

What are some of the challenges you have faced during this time?

The challenges have stemmed mostly from the park's popularity. The safe environment, thoughtful curations of concepts and activities and the new and improved facilities and activities have brought visitors from far and wide. 

And justifiably this has put some pressure on the neighbouring community with increased traffic and park usage. But we are committed to the easing of these problems with meaningful dialogue with the community, as well as working side-by-side with DNCC and other relevant authorities.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

Any other thoughts…

The Mayor and DNCC are forging ahead trying to build more parks and playgrounds and improve the ones that exist. I believe all Dhaka north residents support this vision and we  must work together so that this becomes a reality. The current and future generations of this city deserve it. 

In our work here, we have discovered that one must have meaningful experiences and activities in the park for it to become an integral part of their lives. Otherwise, the majority will be excluded and the Park will fail in its mission to serve the people. A park is a free space for all. And services and activities are a core part of this free space. 

And I do believe, the people of this country and this city are ready. Ready for the new and the innovative. They deserve to be given a chance. Change can be difficult to embrace. But rather than criticising the new and the innovative, it is the right opportunity to work together to identify the pain points and address them. 

How important will this work be for our children? Our intention is to start this conversation with the JSAP project. And if there is any reservation due the presence of more park-goers – it only speaks to the success of these projects. People have spoken with their feet.