Gulshan "Ladies" Park

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Source: The Independent

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Source: The Daily Sun

Beautiful use of rooftops in Dhaka:

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Source: The Independent

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Source: The Independent

Govt yet to take steps on Gulshan encroachment

Dhaka, Mar 13: The government seems oblivious to the directive of HC, which had asked the authorities concerned to evict encroachers from the Gulshan-Baridhara and Gulshan-Banani lakes. Talking to The Independent, barrister ABM Siddiqur Rahman Khan, one of the counsels for the petitioner, alleged that the RAJUK is yet to take any step to comply with the HC directive. He said they have already filed a contempt of court petition in the HC bench headed by Justice Imman Ali, who has since been elevated to the Appellate Division, against the respondents, as they had failed to comply with the HC directive.
“The illegal occupants are posing a threat to the water bodies now. But the authorities concerned are doing nothing," he added. In a landmark verdict in July 2009, a division bench of high court had issued a 10-point directive to the government, ordering it to restore the original positions of the Gulshan-Baridhara and Gulshan-Banani lakes, by evicting illegal occupants.

The HC asked the government to take some specific measures, such as conducting an official survey to demarcate the lakes to restore their original positions as per the Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan, demolition of all illegal encroachments and ensuring an end to the menace. It also asked law-enforcers to cooperate with the authorities concerned in executing the court’s order.

Acting on a writ petition filed by Gulshan Society, an HC division bench, led by ABM Khairul Haque, now Chief Justice, had asked the government to comply with its orders by January 31, 2010. The HC had asked the authorities to protect the nature and character of the lakes in accordance with the law of the land. “If there is any legal occupant, the RAJUK has to provide them with alternative plot elsewhere, or give compensation,” the HC had said.

It had also asked the government and RAJUK to take legal actions against encroachers and illegal occupants. The HC had asked the authorities to complete survey work with the help of deputy commissioner (Dhaka) and the director-general of the department of land records. Acting upon another petition, an HC bench, comprising Justices AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Md Delwar Hossain, had issued a seven-point directive to the government. The bench had described that the lakes as “environmentally critical areas” and asked the authorities to put an end to dumping of all kinds of waste into the lakes to save them from pollution.

The HC had ordered demarcation of the lakes and construction of walkways on both sides. It also asked the authorities to construct a linkway between Road-23 and Road 23 (C) in Gulshan-1, to prevent filling up of the lake.

Source: The Independent

HC directive: Demarcating city's parks, playgrounds
Khalilur Rahman

The High Court (HC) last week asked the authorities concerned to demarcate areas of all parks and playgrounds in the city and demolish illegal constructions on those except the structures built to create sports facilities. The HC bench comprising Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain, while delivering a judgment on two separate writ petitions filed as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) and Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), also asked the authorities to comply with its order within 15 days of receiving the copy of the verdict. BELA filed the writ petition in 2003 and BAPA in 2004, seeking HC directives on the government to take measures for protecting the parks and playgrounds from illegal occupation. BELA in its petition submitted that a number of influential political leaders have raised illegal structures on 68 parks and 10 playgrounds in the capital.

In some areas, the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) itself is an occupier of open spaces including parks. For example, a big park which was created by filling a pond at Jatrabari about 30 years ago by the DCC has now been reduced to a small piece of land. The inhabitants of the area - men, women and children - once found the park as an ideal place for recreation. The local people also used it as a vast ground for holding Eid congregations. Occasionally, exhibitions were also arranged there. About five years ago, the DCC built a public toilet on two bighas of park land. Besides, the corporation constructed a one-storied house at the park which now serves the purpose of a ward commissioner's office. The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) found the park as a suitable place for setting up a pump long ago. Moreover, the construction firm now engaged in implementing Gulistan-Jatrabari Flyover project has occupied a portion of the open space for carrying out its work. The flyover project is being implemented by the DCC. An official of the DCC, however, said that the flyover construction firm was allowed to use the ground until the completion of the project. The DCC will restore the park after construction of the flyover, the official added. But it was not clear as to how the DCC would remove the WASA pump, built two decades ago and its commissioner's office from the park area.

In another case, the DCC is yet to comply with a High Court directive, issued seven years ago, to remove illegal semi-pucca construction on a playground at Dhanmondi road # 08. Upon a PIL writ petition, a HC bench asked the DCC mayor in April 2004 to report to the court within 20 days about steps the DCC had taken to protect the playground and free it from unauthorised structure. The Dhanmondi playground, on an area of nearly 14 bighas of land, was handed over to DCC in January, 1984 by Public Works Department (PWD). The DCC was entrusted with the task of maintaining the playground.

In May 2003, a HC bench, upon a writ petition filed by BELA, also issued a rule upon the authorities to preserve and maintain the city's playgrounds and open spaces. It appears that the DCC has utterly failed to perform its duty to keep parks and open spaces free from illegal occupations. The High Court, in its interim order issued on May 11, 2003, asked the government to complete the process of demarcation of city's open lots under Open Space Protection Act, 2000 with a view to recovering children's parks and playgrounds in the metropolis. The HC bench directed the government to formulate a comprehensive plan for development and maintenance of open spaces as per Town Improvement Act 1953 and Dhaka City Corporation Ordinance of 1983.

The DCC and other concerned agencies appear to be helpless in the face of illegal occupation of playgrounds, parks and open spaces by influential people. In a major development, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also ordered the relevant authorities recently to take immediate measures to recover all the children's parks and playgrounds in the city. It is high time that the DCC and other agencies wake up to recover the parks and playgrounds before these are totally lost to unplanned urbanization for ever. (e-mail: khalilbdh@gmail.com)

Source: Financial Express

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Source: The Independent

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Source: The Daily Star

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Source: The Daily Sun

Love this one! Great for whoever lives there, plus decreasing city heat and CO2! Any modern city could use some more of these.

Beautiful use of rooftops in Dhaka:

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^^ amazing roof garden...

All that vegetation surely reduces the interior temperature of the building.

^^The next step is to grow vegetables. There are many skyscrapers in NYC with rooftop vegetable gardens providing healthy produce for the growers. If this can be done on Dhaka's rooftops, I'm sure people can avail themselves of fresh vegetables(chilis, pui shak, tomatoes, etc.) and not worry about the see-sawing of prices in the local market.

Just take a look on Google Earth at how many roofs in Dhaka are green!

Walkway construction around Gulshan Lake ‘to begin soon’
Taib Ahmed

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha says in a few months it will start the Tk 410 crore Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Lake Development project to protect the lake from encroachment and to enhance the beauty of the area.

Under the lake development project, most of the cost of which will be borne by the government itself, Rajuk will construct a walkway, drive way, causeway and set up boundary pillars demarcating the lake area of 200 acre.

Rajuk will provide Tk 95.62 crore, less than a quarter of the cost.

The city development authorities have already asked the Dhaka district administration to complete the process of land acquisition necessary for it to implement the project, Rajuk officials said.

About 80 acres of land will be needed for which the Rajuk will have to spend Tk 314 crore.

Following directives of the High Court in May 2010 that ordered the government to reclaim the lake, the Executive Committee of National Economic Council on July 6, 2010 approved the project to be implemented by June 2013.

The High Court verdict contained a seven-point directive to the government that included declaring the lake to be an ‘environmentally critical area’ and putting an end to dumping of all kinds of wastes into the lake to save it from pollution.

The High Court also ordered demarcation of the entire lake and construction of walkways on both sides to save the lake from grabbing.

Rajuk chairman Nurul Huda said the lake development project work was aimed at protecting the lake from encroachment and preserving the lake to restore its water retention capacity.

He said once the lake development project was completed, facilities for cruising and other amusement activities in the lake could be organised.

Rajuk’s executive engineer Nurul Islam said, ‘The deputy commissioner’s office in Dhaka district has already been asked to acquire the required land and the process is going on. Four consulting firms have also been short-listed for preparing the detailed design of the project.’

‘The task of preparing the design of the project will be given to one consulting firm within a month,’ he said.

Under the project, about 6200 metres of walkway, 2682 meters of driveway and 189 meters of causeway will be constructed along both sides of the Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Lake.

Unabated encroachment of the lake by earth filling has eaten up the lake situated in the city’s elite area. In 2001 it was declared an ecologically critical area

Save the Environment Movement chairman Abu Naser Khan said the delay in the construction of the walkways had for a long time been facilitating an ‘active vested quarter’ to grab the lake’s bank.

‘Walkways on Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Lake should have been constructed much earlier to protect it from the land grabbers,’ he said. ‘Opportunity of grabbing of Dhanmondi Lake has reduced to a large extent with the construction of walkways along the lake.’

Source: New Age

^^ That's nice...a walkway will be good for walkers or joggers. Gulshan Lake has fared better than adjacent Banani Lake. Hopefully someday that massive slum by Banani Lake can be replaced with a park as originally intended...not by forced eviction preferably, but by relocation to more substantive and sanitary shelter elsewhere.

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Source: The Independent

Check out www.dhakalist.com for more dhaka info

While I am very eager to see the lake development project completed and the slums around the lakes removed,I cannot understand what they mean by construction of walkways around the lakes.....cause there are already walkways around the gulshan lake that I use almost every day during my stay in dhaka:)

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Going green on rooftops may help Dhaka environ
Temperature at Ramna Park is two degrees Celsius less

DHAKA, JULY 13: Housing complexes are coming up as if there is no tomorrow, while the city’s landscape is fast losing its green patches. A small respite, amid this concrete jungle, could be rooftop gardening, which is sure to provide green-diet to restore environmental balance in the capital. In spite of an apparent lack of rudimentary knowledge about rooftop gardening, it is gaining currency in the country.
Environmental experts have observed that the city’s temperature varies from place to place, due to the presence or absence of trees. For instance, the temperature at Ramna park is about two degree Celsius less than the average temperature of the city, while at the Motijheel area it remains considerably higher than the rest of the city.
“Roughly, there are three lakh rooftops in the city. If every rooftop is brought under the programme of rooftop gardening, we can easily combat the varying temperature to a great extent,” said Dr. Khaled Kamal, senior monitoring and evaluation officer in the department of agricultural extension (DAE).
“Rooftop gardening would protect us from the greenhouse effect, and it would also compensate for the lost greenery in Dhaka city,” he added.
Golam Haidar, general secretary of Bangladesh Green Roof Movement, said that such gardening can meet the growing demand for vegetables. He said it would meet both domestic and commercial needs to a considerable extent.
Dr Mustafizur Rahman, monitoring and evaluation expert in the DAE, said that rooftop gardening has a number of benefits. It can provide economic benefits, and at the same time, it could take care of health hazards, while generating some employment, he added.
“Rooftop gardening can provide us fresh vegetables. It can also be an additional source of income, if used for commercial purposes. Such gardens could also serve recreational purposes,” he added.
Dr Khaled Kamal said that each year developers devour acres of farmlands and other lands, and rued the lack of any land-use plan.

“If this situation continues, the whole country will face tremendous environmental degradation. Rooftop gardening, to some extent, would be able to preserve biodiversity and protect environment pollution,” he added. When asked if rooftop gardening might cause any damage to the roofs, Dr Kamal said it would not cause any damage to properly prepared roofs, and it would rather help to keep the temperature down and increase the longevity of roofs.
“There is ample logistical support for rooftop gardening, and anyone can seek help from in this regard,” he said.
“We need intense campaigning to encourage people. But, a proper law and helps from the government is most needed to boost rooftop gardening,” he added.
Replying to a question, Dr Kamal cited the example of Tokyo, noting that Tokyo Metropolitan government had passed a law on compulsory rooftop gardening in 2001, which specified that 20 per cent of the roof-space should be left for gardening. This law has helped to cut the Tokyo temperature by 1.50 Fahrenheit, he added..
“We can always use such a law to make rooftop gardening compulsory to restore the environmental balance.” he added. Golam Haidar observed that lackadaisical attitude shown by building owners often prove spoilers to rooftop gardening. “We need a proper building code, for which the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) would have to play a great role,” he added.

Source: The Independent

this looks insane.....!

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Barnochata Picnic and Convention Center

Why Barnochata is different to other picnic spot?
Bornochata is different to other picnic spot because we ensure following features and amenities:

Features:
Secured & Comfort Spot
Convention Center
Dining Space
Indoor/ Outdoor Games
Generator Facility
Children’s Corner
Ladies Prayer Area
Swimming Pool
Big Pond
Drivers Shade
Green Garden
Event Management
Food Arrangement
Concert & Cultural program

Amenities:
Indoor & Outdoor Wash Room Available
Common Rest Room for Visitor
VIP Cottage (Payable)
Best Quality Fittings and Fixtures
Huge Car Parking Area
Physician on Call
In House Security
Digital Sound System

Bat Tola
Bat tola is the most important place within the Barnochata picnic spot. As soon as any tired man reaches to bat tola, become auto fresh by its gentle wind and shadow. That is why it is called as “Saya Toru”. Bat tola is the best place for outdoor programs like musical events, drama and dance etc. The said natural space can easily provide accommodation for 300 to 400 visitors at a time.

Swimming Pool
There is a luxurious swimming pool for visitors. The swimming pool is surrounded by proximately 5 sunloungers for guests. Visitors are provided with pool service and has

A pool supervisor to guarantee everyone's safety. Our swimming pool service is supplied daily from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm during the summer months, and from 12:00 am to 3:00 pm during the winter season.

Rest Room:
Rest room for visitors. We have two (2) bed rooms, One (1) drawing room with best quality birth room fittings and fixtures. It is incorporated with dressing area.

Driver’s Shade:
A beautiful two storied building for driver rest room & prayer zone. TV facilities for drivers.

Parking Area:
A secured parking arrangement ensure for you. 20 covered and secured car and bus parking spaces. Security guard look after the parking area. C. C Camera will be provided to record the footage for protection .

Security Guard:
We provide you full time in house security. Security guards are well dressed and good manner. They are trained by an ex- army officer.

Play Ground:
There are two play ground, one for cricket another for football. We will provide you playing equipment by a handsome payment.

Generator:
Stand by generator for per common area like as rest room, dining, conference hall, driver’s shade, praying area as well as bat tola ( for out door cultural function)

Ladies Prayer Area:
We have a ladies prayer room inside the pond. It is clam and quiet place.

Dining
Light yourself with the best local cuisine at Barnochata Picnic Spot. Looking for somewhere to enjoy a quick, relaxed and great value meal before heading to a cultural show or boardroom meetings, then the Barnochata restaurant offers an exclusive menu. Our exclusive menu for boardroom meetings, conferences, training seminars, gaya holud, birthday party and wedding ceremony.Enjoy all these benefits with a big screen television and relax in the most sophisticated lounge of the city Dhaka.

Cottage
After an active day relax in our cottage. We have two cottages, Swarnali & Barnali. Swarnali is available for rent, while Barnali is private one. It has one(1) bed room, One (1) drawing & dining room with best quality birth room fitting and fixture. It is incorporated with dressing area. We provide in room TV and DVD, hygienic soft pillow, formal bed sheets and towels.

Children’s Corner
We care about you and your children. Your child is our first priority. We have a safe and loving environment, especially designed to provide excellent care, for babies and children up to twelve years old.
Your children will be stimulated, entertained and cared for by highly trained staff in surroundings designed to help them learn and have lots of fun. Please feel free to come and look around. You and your family are very welcome. Our hours of operation are 9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Saturday to Friday.

Great stuff Jason...keep it up!

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Lake Lacks Care
Why not make it a dirt dump!
→ Abu Bakar Siddique


More than ten years have elapsed since the declaration of Gulshan-Baridhara Lake an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA), but the government is yet to take any tangible step to save it from unabated pollution through the dumping of dirt, feasting in bath.

The government fails to put an end to the dumping of all kinds of wastes into the lake due to their negligence, which causes the death of existing fishes and other aquatic species in the lake, said Dr Abdul Matin, general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA).

“Though a number of laws have been formulated to check environmental degradation, manmade pollution in the lake continues unabated due to non-enforcement of the laws,” he said.

The Department of Environment (DoE) declared the Gulshan-Baridhara Lake an Ecologically Critical Area on 26 November 2001 and hung a signboard on its bank advising people not to pollute the lake waters by any means.

However, many people living in areas on both sides of the lake are still dumping their household waste while poor and slum-dwellers take bath in the lake ignoring the advice.

During a visit to the lake site, this correspondent found several buildings built by land grabbers in some places on the lake.

It was also seen that water of the lake is highly polluted due to direct discharge of untreated sewage and the dumping of solid wastes into the city’s only natural lake.

Ironically, the DoE does not take any measure to save the lake—even they could not employ a single watchman to stop waste dumping into the lake.

Monowar Islam, director-general of the DoE, told daily sun that inadequate budget and manpower shortages are the major constraints for them to take proper measures to protect the lake.

“At present, we have kept our attention focused on saving the ecologically and biodiversity of Cox’s Bazar, Saint Martin’s Island and Sonadia Island,” he added.

He also said that the government was trying to take protection measure for all the ECAs gradually on priority basis.

Citing an example, he said freeing the four rivers adjacent to Dhaka City from pollution could get top priority.

At present there are 12 declared ECA sites in the country that include the Sundarbans, Cox’s Bazar, Saint Martin’s Island and Sonadia Island, Tanguar Haor, Hakaluki Haor, Marjat Baor, Gulshan-Baridhra Lake and the four rivers -Buriganga, Shitalakhya, Turag and Balu—adjacent to the capital.

The BAPA general secretary, Abdul Matin, said that the government does not give proper attention to the matter of saving the ecology of all declared ECAs except a faulty project in Cox’s Bazar, Saint Martin’s Island and Sonadia Island.

The government is trying to destroy the ecology and biodiversity of the ECAs rather than conserving those, he said, adding: “Move to establish a coal-fired thermal power plant near the Sundarbans is one of the worst examples of it.”

Source: The Daily Sun

In May of last year Rajuk said they would clean up and renovate Gulshan Lake. Yet here we are 8 months later! We should relocate residents of the Korail slum somewhere else.

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HC summons Rajuk boss, officials
Staff Correspondent
The High Court yesterday summoned the Rajuk chief and officials concerned in connection with the incidents of land grabbing of Gulshan Lake and collapse of a portion of the Circuit House road in the city.

In a suomoto order, the court directed Rajuk Chairman Nurul Huda, its Ramna zone engineer, and authorised officers of Ramna and Gulshan zones to appear before it on January 24 to explain why the have failed to protect the lake's land and the road.

It also directed the officials concerned to take steps so that such incident of collapse does not repeat.

The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim came up with the order following two reports published on The Daily Star and the daily Prothom Alo yesterday, Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain told The Daily Star.

The Daily Star report said a portion of the Circuit House road collapsed into a 33-foot-deep construction pit Monday as the underground piling adjoining the road caved in.

According to the Prothom Alo report, about five Bighas of Gulshan Lake land has been detached from the original lake due to earth filling and construction of structures on that land.

The court also issued two separate rules asking the Rajuk chairman and officials to explain in two weeks what steps they have taken to prevent the grabbing of Gulshan Lake's land and why they should not be directed to protect the lake from grabbers.

In another rule, the court asked the officials concerned of Rajuk to explain why action should not taken against the owners of building which caused the Circuit House road to collapse and against the persons who responsible for the collapse.

___________

Rid Gulshan Lake of grabbers
Land ministry's intervention required

The recent encroachment of the Gulshan Lake is yet another stark instance of how the capital city's wetlands and canals are facing constant threats from land grabbers. A news item carried in a leading Bengali daily shows that a dam over five bighas has been put up across the lake without any permission from concerned authorities, dividing it in the middle. Worse still, several tin-shed houses have been erected along the dam, that too, by claiming land ownership. We express our grave concern at such malpractices in the face of the city's shrinking water bodies.

What worries us more is the fact that the encroachers are outrageously operating right under the nose of Rajuk, city authorities and the law enforcing agencies as if they are given a free hand through some collusive arrangements. It has been a long time since the Gulshan Lake was subjected to pollution and illegal land filling. If this trend continues, soon the grabbers will fill in the rest of the lake, thus killing one of the largest inland water bodies in the city.

For all we know, about 40 acres of the 100-acre lake falls outside the ambit of Rajuk's authority which is why the authorized body is in a quandary about how to monitor those undemarcated parts. There are also some unresolved disputes as to the ownership of land since dwellers of the newly built houses along the dam as well as of those built previously along the lake shore are claiming to have bought them from legal owners. In most cases, however, lands belonging to the lake were sold by influential grabbers having political clouts.

In view of the continued degradation of the lake, we urge the land ministry to intervene sooner rather than later and bring the law and order forces into picture. A joint drive would do really well to free lands from the grabbers and also save it from pollution.

Such a shame

Source: The Daily Star / Prothom Alo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU8HyTUbisA

Nice video about Dhanmondi Lake created by a student.

In May of last year Rajuk said they would clean up and renovate Gulshan Lake. Yet here we are 8 months later! We should relocate residents of the Korail slum somewhere else.


I would love to see Korail removed but that's not so easy...where would all those people go? The people living there probably work in some menial capacity in Banani / Gulshan / Mohakhali. With the state of Dhaka traffic being what it is, if the slum was uprooted, how would these people get to their workplaces from whatever distant slum they got moved to?

Also, just a technicality, but...the slum is located on Banani Lake, not Gulshan Lake.

I would love to see Korail removed but that's not
so easy..Lake.


Slum dwellers evicted at Gulshan


The Dhaka city development authorities, Rajuk, launched a drive on Monday to demolish slums along the approach roads to the Gulshan-Banani Bridge in the heart of Dhaka’s posh area following a High Court order.

The slum dwellers were given half an hour around 11:30am to take away their possessions and they followed the order, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha magistrate Rokanuddoula, who was leading the drive, told the news agency.

He said that a total of 120 families had been living along the western area of the bridge while 12 on the other side.

Rajuk employees and law enforcers present during the drive helped the slum dwellers leave the place peacefully.

Rajuk’s Gulshan-Banani Lake Project manager Mohammad Nurul Islam told the news agency that the drive would continue for two months to clear all illegal structures on the lakesides in line with the High Court order issued on January 25.

Source:http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/metro/49442.html

^^ Well, the view will certainly improve, as it has in Hatirjheel.

But, I do feel for these people, as the evictors never give a thought as to where these people would go next, and how that new slum might be practical for their place of work. If there were concurrent construction of clean, subsidized working class housing (even some sturdy sheds with basic septic systems would be OK!) as an alternative, this process would be far more meaningful. Currently, it's just a way of making sure the slums aren't in the sightlines of the affluent.

Some pictures of the drive:

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Having been warned, people of Karail Slum along the lake start to remove the structures.

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A child hears that they would not be able to stay at the place she has been living since her birth

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Having been warned, people of Karail Slum along the lake start to remove the structures.

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Following the drive at a part of the lake, people in the whole area fear evictions in the surrounding areas.

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Having been warned, people of Karail Slum along the lake start to remove the structures.

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Having warned of eviction, people of Karail Slum along the lake, start to remove the structures''

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Uncertainty grips these poor people as the shanties are taken down.

Source: Demotix.com

Unauthorised parking to be government monitored - Dhaka
With the rise in vehicles parking on the streets of Dhaka, the government is now monitoring and devising better ways to combat unauthorised parking.

Present situations:

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This picture was taken from Karwan Bazar intersection area

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An image of a lane in the Dhanmondi residential area, now turned into commercial parking.''

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People coming to the shopping malls who have no parking facility, keep their private cars parked on the busy Mirpur Road. Photo taken at Dhanmondi 28. The vehicles are parked at a place where a no parking signboard is standing.

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A lane in the city's posh Gulshan area, where there is no vigilance of law enforcers.

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These cars are parked in front of a shopping mall on Gulshan Avenue.

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The long-tailed cars are parked on Gulshan Avenue in front of two commercial buildings without proper parking facilities.

*An eight-story parking lot in Gulshan-1 is currently under-construction.

Source: Demotix.com

Zoos to get modern looks
Feasibility study, digital survey done
→ Sajjad Hossain


A project is going to be implemented to embellish Dhaka National Zoo and Rangpur Zoo with different modern fittings, animals and species so that the sightseers can enjoy international-standard amusement.

For the redecoration works undertaken by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) has already completed digital survey and feasibility study, said Abdul Latif Bisaws, Minister for Fisheries and Livestock.

The modernization works for the two state-run zoos will commence after approval of the project, he added.

He said, “The architecture department of Buet has been asked to do master plan in accordance with the feasibility study and digital survey. We will commence modernization work after getting approval from Prime Minister Office”

The minister said the renovation works in the two zoos were taken aiming to make a modern zoo of international level, assemble rare species of wild animals, to increase more facilities of research for saving the near-extinct animals and inspire zoo education.

The renovation will be done in phases within five years and to implement the development works a total of Tk 295.58 crore has been estimated—Tk 263.90 crore for Dhaka Zoo and Tk 31.67 crore for Rangpur Zoo—Dr ABM Shahid Ullah, curator (in-charge) of Dhaka Zoo, told daily sun.

Of the estimated funds, Tk 114. 54 crore has been budgeted for the first phase.

Under different categories of development works, plantation, animal welfare, captive environment, infrastructure and facilities, landscape elements and cage condition will be implemented.

Under the plantation project, plants of fruits, vegetables and flowers would be planted at a cost of Tk 4.95 lakh while Tk 39.24 crore was proposed for animal welfare. Under this project will come large and small mammals, carnivorous animals, reptiles, birds and aquarium fishes, the feasibility study paper reveals.

It also revealed that land formation and dressing (that will help the animals to get a touch of natural living), tertiary pathways near and around the cages and noise-treatment plant will be implemented for Tk 5.82 crore.

With the projected Tk 56.49 crore Treetops trail, Cable way, Cable car, Under Water Aquarium, Open Aviary, Palm Park, Butterfly Park, Education and Research centre and Forest lodge would be built under a project of infrastructure and facilities.

Tk 52.47 crore was proposed for making foot over-bridge, underpass, water edge treatment plant, waste bin, hard pave, soft pave and signage while cage condition would be developed at Tk 120.48 crore.

For making the zoos more attractive recreational place for the viewers, different amusing rides and apparatuses will be included and natural environment would be created for the wildlife and species according to their whereabouts, Dr ABM Shahid Ullah said.

“Once the project is implemented, visitors could enjoy world-class facilities and animals and wildlife will get natural living place,” he hopes.

Zoo Project Details:

DEVELOPMENT PROJECT PROPOSAL (DPP)
Dhaka & Rangpur Zoo Modernization Projec
Executing Agency: Department of Livestock Services
Sponsoring Ministry: Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock
Project Implementation Period: 01.7.2010 to 30.6.2015

Total Project Cost: Tk. 11454.50 Lakh

Objectives of the Project:
To make a modern zoo of international level.
To collect rare species of wild animal for increasing the attraction of visitor.
To increase more facilities of research for saving the nearly extinct animals.
To foster the zoo education & increase and conservation.
To disseminate the technology acquired from the foreign zoo consultant to local zoo officials.

Background

Dhaka zoo is one of the largest recreation places at Dhaka city. Many people from both home and abroad have keen interest and endeavor towards Dhaka Zoo. This zoo also a conservation place of wild animal, Zoo education program, Breeding up of animal & birds. It was established in 1974, but so far any program for its modernization yet been taken. As a result of old type of structure with inadequate spaces facilities and management still exist. The Children park within Dhaka zoo has no modern gaming tools & equipment. It needs infrastructural development to attract the visitors in the light of modern Children Park. Dhaka zoo has 2 (two) big lakes. On is around 36 acres and other is 20 acres. If there provide pedestal boat in the lake, more visitors will come to enjoy the boat driving in the Dhaka zoo. If suspension bridge can be constructed over the lake, huge number of visitors will come to enjoy the natural view of Dhaka zoo. In the bank of Lake, Plaza can be constructed with covered shed to enjoy the natural beauty of lake visitors of all level will come in zoo during there leisure period. If the proposed project can be executed, there will be a firm reason to belief that the present revenue income from Dhaka zoo will increase enormously.

Project activities:

Construction works: Land development will be done only at the north lake of Dhaka zoo in a very few amount. Residential dormitory, staff quarter, officers’ quarter construction for Dhaka zoo. Repairing & maintenances of existing residential & zoo infra structure (animal cages) of Dhaka zoo, some new animal cages are to build in the Dhaka zoo. Internal roads to be build in the zoo. Public toilet, guard shed, visitor’s sheds are to be proposed to build in this project. Parking area, research centre and canteen to be built smartly in the Dhaka zoo. Suspended bridge is to be proposed to build in the Dhaka zoo. Provision of paddle boats both for rangpur & Dhaka zoo lake are included int the project. For easy entrance to the Dhaka zoo, it is proposed to build a new approach entry gate at the west side of the north lake. New construction of few canteens at the Dhaka zoo are proposed to build in this project. Moral of different rare species zoo animals are to be built through this project for the zoo. Some Fowaras are established in the Dhaka zoo.

What is to be done?

Repairing existing zoo structures

Modernization of food godown

Maintenance of existing zoo cages

Purchasing animal carriers and other vehicles

Purchasing CCTV cameras

Purchasing and setting up childrens zones

Provide 25 wheeled paddle boats for recreation

Plant trees

Provide 20 bikes for recreation

Provide 7 rickshaw vans to carry visitors

Development of Dhaka Zoo North Lake

Construction of four different 6-storied zoo staff quarters

Construction of 3-storied parking garage, with 6 storied foundation

Modernization of zoo gift shop

Construction of visitor center, restaurant, bank, auditorium, zoo research center, zoo education center, hostel above parking garage

Construction of 25 pavilions for guests (picnic-style)

Construction of toilets

Construction of bird and butterfly shed

Construction of 4 different restaurants

Construction of a zoo gate

Construction of new entry road and boundary walls with barbed wire and cameras

Installation of a rare animals mural

Construction of suspension bridge for zoo visitors over zoo lake

Source: Dhaka Zoo Website

Dhaka Zoo: A Look Inside

With 186 acre of land, Dhaka Zoo at Mirpur is the fourth largest in the world. But with a collection of a mere 2,161 different animals and birds of 157 species, its rating is nowhere near in the world’s elite zoos. Take the fact that London Zoo houses more than 16,000 animals and birds of over 700 species within only 36 acres of land! Dhaka Zoo - the largest zoo of the country has witnessed premature deaths of animals over the years and many scandalous reports were carried by the media regarding corruption and abysmal incompetence of the zoo authorities.
The animals have to suffer due to painful and almost oppressive condition in the zoo which in no way resemble their original habitats. They are kept in small cages and are deprived of food and other necessities. It has been reported time and again that callous and corrupt zoo employees are responsible for such negligence.
“The problem with such animals is that the zoo authorities do not know what to do with them. Obviously, hostile condition and poor supply of food make it almost impossible for the animals to survive. The animals are brought from abroad at a huge cost, only to be pushed to death through utter neglect. The overall situation prevailing here is an insult to the concept of a modern zoo”, Prof Anwarul Islam, chief executive of the Wildlife Trust of the government said.
“It seems the zoo authorities are blissfully oblivious of the fact that a zoo is not a prison designed to punish animals. Recreating the animals' natural abodes to the possible extent is a task performed with great care in any zoo worth the name. It is not possible to keep the animals alive in an artificial setting for long, particularly when they are deprived of the basic necessities”, he said.
He also said that unless the zoo authoirty is shifted from Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, no real improvement is possible in the zoo. “No country in the world has its zoos under the livestock ministry. Dhaka Zoo doesn’t have any expert zoologists as its staff. How do you expect it to become a world class zoo, under the prevailing circumstances?”, the renowned zoologist said.
The zoo authority however said that this scenario is about to change as the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry of the government is planning to revamp the zoo completely.
“If the comprehensive plan that has been chalked out for the zoo is implemented, it surely is going to secure its position as one of the top zoos in the world”, said Dr ABM Shahidullah, the curator in charge of Dhaka Zoo.
Already a team of experts from BUET has submitted a 300 page-comprehensive report including a digital survey and feasibility study on modernizing the Dhaka Zoo, Dr Shahidullah added.
“Now the zoo authority, after reviewing that report is planning to award BUET the contract for preparing a final master-plan involving the cost analysis of complete structural design of the zoo”, he added.
Dr Shahidullah said, the zoo authority would seek funding from the government to bear the expenses of the modernization project. “We may also approach private investors for the project”, he said.
Last year, a consortium of Malaysia-based Kopeda Group and local Maisha Group had submitted a proposal to the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry for setting up a park similar to Fantasy Kingdom and Nandan Park on 53 acres of land of Dhaka Zoo in exchange of bearing the cost of modernizing the Dhaka Zoo. That proposal however hasn’t yet been approved by the government, Dr Shahidullah said. “The zoo staff had protested against that proposal as the zoo would lose its identity if an amusement park is established in one third of its land”, he said.
“Besides, that prposed amusement park would have acquired the 18 acre North Lake which attracts thousands of migratory birds each year”, he added.
Talking with The Independent, Prof Dr Khondokar Shabbir Ahmed, who led the group that prepared the 300 page report on digital survey and the feasibility study on modernizing Dhaka Zoo said, that they have prepared the report emphasizing on three core areas – education , research and amusement.
“A zoo doesn’t need to have an amusement park, it itself offers better amusement if it is constrcuted and maintained in a proper way”, said Dr Ahmed.
“The ministry has asked us, the architecture department of BUET, to conduct a survey over the land of Dhaka Zoo to identify its potentiality for possible modernization and we did that”, he said.
Dr Ahmed said that the perimeter of Dhaka Zoo is too large for a a visitor to walk. Also in the tropical weather of Bangladesh it is exhausting to walk 185 acres to see different animals.
“So in our report we have suggested a ‘circular land train ride’ along the cages. Dubai Zoo has it and it is loved by the visitors”, he said.
“We also proposed a boat ride in the South Lake. Different animals will be kept in different cages along the banks of the lake and visitors would see them from the boat”, he said.
Dr Ahmed however said that their study report has suggested changing the existing system of caging the animals that gave wrong message to the visitors, especially to the children.
“The present cage system in the zoo is miserable. People are getting wrong idea about the lifestyle of animals by seeing the mierable living condition of the zoo amimals”, he said adding that their report had suggested large modern caging system for the zoo animals.
“We have also ensured preservation of sufficient greenry inside the zoo to give it a natural look. Facilities such as eco-friendly washrooms, resturants and resting nests have been peoposed in our report”, he said.
“In the study, we have also asked for launching ‘behavioural enrichment program’ for the animals. We have observed that the Dhaka Zoo has only veterniary physicians for the animals but no veterniary psychologist. Modern zoos have psychologists because without their assistance animal behaviour cannot be comprehended or enriched”, he said.
“We haven’t made any recommendetaion on the varieties of animals that the zoo should have as it was not a part of our contarct. Besides such suggestions should come from the concerned experts”, he said.
When asked whether this massive project would be financially viable, Dr Ahmed said that if the zoo is modernized then people wouldn’t bother to pay a Tk 50 entry fee instead of Tk 10.
“Currently about 10,000 vistors vist the zoo premise every day. If the proposed modernized is implemented and advertzied, then it would fetch at least five times more visitors”, he said.
“Bangladesh has been described in the lonely planet’s (world’s most renowned travel magazine) 2011 issue as the number one tourist destination. If its capital has a world class zoo, it surely would attract a lot of foreign visitors”, he said.

Source: The Independent

Amusement Park at Gopalganj, Sylhet

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Govt to build playground, stadium in all upazilas

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Monday said that the government will construct playground and stadium in each upazila to enrich the country in sports.

“It’s not only in cricket, we will construct playground and stadium in all upazilas to make the country proficient in all kind of sports,” she said while addressing a children's rally and independence day parade at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the city.

Hasina also said that steps will be taken to ensure facilities for physical exercise and sports in all schools across the country.

Referring to the recent Asia Cup result, she said that the day is not far when Bangladesh will be champion in the World Cup cricket.

She asked the children to participate in sports along side their regular academic activities.

The premier called upon the young generation to grow up as worthy citizens to establish Bangladesh as a modern country. “Children are the future leaders of the nation and they would have to groom themselves accordingly to take the helm of the country,” she said.

Referring to the declaration of 17th March as National Children's Day, she said the government is implementing necessary programmes so that children can flourish their latent talent by receiving proper education.

She said the future generation must know the true history of the nation's hard-earned victory and the supreme sacrifices made by the patriotic countrymen for their beloved motherland.

Recalling the Bangabandhu's dream to present the people a happy life in a developed country, Hasina called upon all to work together to materialise that dream.

Students of different educational institutions as well as boys scout, girls guide, rover scout and different juvenile organisations took part in the rally and presented physical display.

The Prime Minister took salute at the colourful march past presented by the young participants. She was flanked by State Minister for Liberation war Affairs AB Tajul Islam and Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka M Muhibul Hoque.

Earlier, in the morning at about 6 am, the Prime Minister placed wreath at the National Mausoleum in Savar marking the 42nd Independence and National Day.

After placing the wreath, she stood in solemn silence for a while as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs.

The bugle played the last post and a smartly turned out contingent of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force presented state salute on the occasion.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with the senior leaders of Bangladesh Awami League also placed wreath at the National Mausoleum on behalf of her party.

The Speaker, Chief Justice, Deputy Speaker, Ministers, Advisers to the Prime Minister, state ministers, chiefs of the three services, diplomats, high civil and military officials, freedom fighters, other dignitaries, and senior leaders of Awami League were present.

Later, Hasina paid homage to father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing a wreath at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi in the city.

After laying the wreath, she stood in solemn silence for sometime as a mark of respect to the memory of Bangabandhu.

Sheikh Hasina, also the president of Bangladesh Awami League, placed another wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu on behalf of the party.

Deputy Leader in Parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Awami League Advisory Council members Dr SA Malek, Tofail Ahmed and Amir Hossain Amu, AL presidium members Begum Matia Chowdhury Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Advocate Sahara Khatun, Advocate Yusuf Hossain Humayun and Satish Chandra Roy, AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira, Environment and Forests Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, State Minister for Home Affairs Advocate Shamsul Haque Tuku, State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak, State Minister for Law Advocate Qamrul Islam and State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Capt (retd) AB Tajul Islam were, among others, present.

Besides, Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Abdul Hamid Advocate, Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali, Chief Whip Abdus Shahid, Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, organizing secretary BM Mozammel Hossain, and information & research secretary Advocate Afzal Hossain were also present on the occasion.

The Prime Minister released a postage stamp marking the Independence Day.

News Source:
UNB

Cultural Zone caught in queue jam
→ Rabiul Islam

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This recent photo shows an underground collection centre at Suhrawardy Udyan. It was set up as part of the government’s long-drawn-out plan to make the entire area adjacent to Dhaka University a special cultural zone. Reaz Ahmed Sumon

A top-level government planning to create a special cultural zone encompassing some monumental institutions at Dhaka’s heartland has been followed up with only a power-point presentation on its paradigm in the last one year.

The centre-stage is Suhrawardy Udyan and the existing institutions around the historic site all hold national as well as international importance.

The latest of these establishments is the International Mother Language Institute which is an offspring of the Central Shaheed Minar, the symbol of formation of Bengali nationhood.

Most significantly, these twin-institutions hold have been elevated onto the global plane by way of the UN recognition of the Bengali language martyrs’ day as International Mother Language. The Amar Ekushey, the occasion commemorating the 21st February 1952 martyrdom of language heroes, is now observed internationally.

In view of the increasing importance of the lush green sprawling grounds along with the establishments around, the government high-ups took a plan to turn the belt into a cultural hub—for people at home and from over the world.

Preferring not to be named, an official of the cultural affairs ministry told daily sun that a proposal was sent to the prime minister’s office about one year ago, but there had been no development up till now.

“We contacted the officials at the PMO and they told us that they would inform (us) if any development took place,” the official said.

A source at the Department of Architecture said a power-point presentation on the model of the cultural zone was given at the Prime Minister’s official residence Ganobhaban about a year ago.

The prime minister showed interest in creating a cultural zone with some corrections in the proposed layout.

While talking to daily sun over phone Thursday, State Minister for Cultural Affairs Promode Mankin claimed that work on creating a cultural zone was going on.

There is now the International Mother Language Institute already set up in the belt, he mentioned.

He said the Prime Minister herself has a plan to set up the cultural hub titled ‘Sonar Bangla Cultural Zone’.

The state minister also said it is being considered if any more cultural institution needs to be established in the near future, it must be established within this zone.

Sources at the cultural affairs ministry said in view of the historical importance, the government initiated the move to create a cultural zone which will be a single entity adjacent to Dhaka University—considered nerve-centre of country’s politico-cultural activities.

According to the proposal, Bangla Academy, DU Fine Arts Faculty, National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s tomb, the Public Library, the National Museum, Suhrawardy Udyan, Ramna Park, Shipakala Academy and the International Mother Language Institute would come under the realm of the cultural zone.

Besides, Shishu Academy, Shaheed Minar and Asiatic Society will also be bound with the belt of activities of head and heart and of estheticism.

According to the proposal, the Suhrawardy-Ramna twin parks would be connected with either underpass or overpass so that people can move easily. A footbridge will also be set up adjacent to Shilpakala Academy.

The zone would be connected in such a way so that a visitor can roam around comfortably from place to another for pleasure, pastime, research or learning.

Chief Architect of the Department of Architecture A S M Ismail presented the proposed cultural zone through the power-point presentation at Ganobhaban.

Ismail, in the meantime, has retired from his job.

Ismail told daily sun: “We proposed a single entity for the cultural zone so that the visitors can walk from one institution to another, and Suhrawardy and Ramna parks would be a single park.”

“We also proposed to arrange Ekusay Book Fair on the footpath from Shahabagh to Doel Chattar so that the Bangla Academy remains as it is during book fair,” he said, adding that seminars and other cultural programmes can take place inside the academy compound.

Source: Daily Sun

HATIRJHEEL-BEGUNBARI LAKE DEV PROJECT Completion remains far off


Sadia Afrin

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The Hatirjheel-Begunbari integrated lake development project designed to create a recreation centre at the heart of the city is yet to be completed while the authorities have still not been able to acquire the required land.
Much of the construction work of the project has not yet even started, project officials said.
The project was supposed to be finished by June 2010, but delays have already resulted in the deadline being put back three times with December 2012 now being the current goal for its completion.
The continuing delays have already increased the cost of the project from Tk 12 billion to Tk 19.71 billion and it appears unlikely that the current deadline will be met.
The land that will be used to construct a U-loop road at Rampura and to relocate four mosques has not yet been acquired, project officials said.
They said only 42 out of the original 79 cases relating to the purchase of land still remained pending with the courts.
The project director, brigadier general Abu Sayeed Mohammad Masud, admitted that legal obstacles prevented easy acquisition of land and it slowed down the construction work. But he claimed that 80 per cent of the work has been completed.
‘The rest of the work would be completed before handing over the project to RAJUK by December 2012,’ Masud said.
The purpose of the project is to create both a water retention body stretching from behind the Sonargaon Hotel for four kilometers up till Rampura bridge, with an 11-kilometre long and 60 feet wide embankment. The project will also serve as a recreation point for the city dwellers.
In the lake near Moghbazar, there will be an open platform for entertainment and in the middle of the lake near Badda and West Rampura, a forested ‘Eco-Centre’ island is supposed to be created which will be a haven for all sorts of flora and fauna.
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha is implementing the project with assistance from Local Government Engineering Department, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority and the 6 Engineering Construction Battalion of the army.
RAJUK chairman Nurul Huda said four out of five bridges involved in the project will be completed by June, but admitted that it would take time to construct the fifth bridge.
He admitted that RAJUK was yet to acquire the land for relocating the four mosques which fall in the project area or the land for constructing a U-loop in the project road at Rampura.
On legal complexities over land acquisition, he said, ‘The cases will not hinder the process of implementing the project as we have taken all of required lands under possession even though some cases are still pending with court.’
RAJUK has asked the deputy commissioner of Dhaka to acquire the lands, he said.
Nurul Huda hoped the road around the lake would be open for public in December even if some works will remain unfinished by the time.
Completion of the project should improve the traffic situation in Moghbazar, Madhubagh, Ulan, Mohanagar, Daserpara, Rampura, Merul Badda, Gulshan, Tejgaon and Begunbari, the authorities said.

Source: New Age

Foy’s Lake: Trip to Adventure Land and Paradise Valley


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Fahmina Chowdhury, Guest Writer

banglanews24.com

DHAKA: With an 88-years passage of time, the ‘princess of nature’ of port city Chittagong has become aesthetic and entertaining as never before.

Yes! I am talking about the natural beauty ‘Foy’s lake’ which was dug in 1924 to serve as a water reservoir for the Chittagong area, and named after the then Assam-Bengal railway engineer who was behind this project - Mr. Foy.

From a place of insecurity, it has turned out to be a very attractive theme park temptation located in the northern part of the Chittagong city.

On an average, thousands of people visit there each day since its opening in November 18, 2004, and definitely the main credit for such non-natural beautification of this natural beauty goes to the Concord Group by introducing several unique attributes that set this serene lake with surrounding hills apart from other vacation destinations especially when it comes to spending some quality fun-time with friends and family.

The park has an attractive entrance gate made by colorful Disney brick which the kids find very attractive. Visitors will find three distinct spots under the same complex of 320 acre land of this Amusement World - dry Park, Sea World and the Lake Resort.

The Dry Park offers the usual theme park rides like bumper boat, bumper car, the speedy roller coaster, restaurants and few food kiosks around the children corners. If one thinks the fund ends here at this dry park, he would end up missing the biggest scenic beauty which is the lake itself with small and big boats for rides on this idyllic lake to enjoy the breath-taking scenery of the area.

The small-boat ride on the lake will definitely be a fantastic time pass especially for those who love greeneries and water. Small boats come with two paddles and can contain only four persons.

Two of the riders have to paddle to move the boat forward and that’s make this ride a very adventurous one since you yourself will be the captain of the boat and have to move around amid the serenity of the lake feasting your eyes with the silent hills and green tranquil water of the lake.

For this short trip with the small boat, it takes only taka 100 to rent it.

So no one should miss this ‘Foy’s lake special’ unless suffers from hydrophobia.

But the entire hang-around gets more thrilled when visitors take a tour towards the ‘Sea World’, the second one-of-a-kind spot of this amusement park.

The destination ‘sea world’ is located at the dead end of lake and it takes just about 20 minutes to reach there by diesel-run big boats, and of course here no one gets the adventurous chance to be the captain of the boat unlike the small boat ride.

Those who travelled around Rangamati Lake will definitely find a resemblance between the boat rides of these two spots.

A nerve soothing journey through the green forests, silent hills, and peaceful lake makes it progressively more exciting until you reach your destination.

The new addition by Concord Group to make the arrangement of forests look more natural is the collection of deer which roam around alongside the lakeshore hills.

If visitors want to come onto ‘Sea World’, they have to take tickets prior to their entry to this park.

Three types of packages are there for ‘Sea World’ – all unlimited rides with Foy`s Lake Entry will cost you taka 430, and for entry and all rides unlimited from Foy’s Lake boat ghat will cost you taka 250, and entry with all rides unlimited from ‘Sea World’ gate will cost taka 300.

In the ‘Sea World’ you will get to find splash pools and wave pools which are the main attraction points.

An energetic entertainment is waiting for you at the pools with multiple water coaster rides and various types of tube slides, multi-slides, artificial waterfall, and doom slides to fool around with your family and friends.

Once you are done with the splash pools, another awe-inspiring experience will hold you close – it is the wave pool. Huge waves will wash you away with big screams from people in company with music and dance, and this blending of music, dance and fun with big waves will cast you away into your dream fun.

All the usual features you would get from this modest water theme park are palatable for people of all ages whether you want to simply relax in the water or experience the thrill of the slides and wave pool. And please do not forget to bring your own towels and swimwear; otherwise you have to rent or purchase it from their stores.

You can be assured of the other facilities they provide with like separate changing rooms and toilets for ladies and gents, lockers for your valuables.

Therefore, ‘Sea World’ where the water games are not abandoned at any cost if you are up for absolute fun and entertainment and want to get cool off especially during summer time.

Last but not the least, the Foy’s Lake Resort, which is a unique getaway to stay in luxurious accommodation while enjoying the natural beauty of the lake and the entertainment of its two theme parks.

If possible try to include at least one ‘down day’ where you relax at the resort and don’t do much of anything other than soak up the tranquillity of the lake and the green landscapes of the Mother Nature and experience resort’s hospitality and impeccable service along with succulent food.

Source: Banglanews24

HC summons Rajuk, BTCL bosses
Staff Correspondent
The High Court (HC) yesterday summoned the Rajuk chairman and the BTCL managing director to be present at the court on May14 for not removing all the illegal structures on Gulshan Lake in the capital as per its earlier directive.

Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha chairman and managing director of Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Ltd would have to give their reasons before the court for failing to free the lake completely from encroachers.

The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim passed the order after lawyers of Rajuk and BTCL said the task of demolition which was being carried out could not be completed.

Following HC's order in January, Rajuk has evicted the slum dwellers from the lake area but has not taken any steps regarding the buildings standing there, the HC bench said, adding that the court had ordered the removal of all structures from the lake.

Later on April 15, the HC directed Rajuk and BTCL to demolish all the illegal structures on Gulshan Lake within 15 days and asked to turn in a compliance report by May 2.

After a report was published in the daily Prothom Alo, the court issued a suo moto order upon the authorities concerned, including Rajuk's chairman and BTCL managing director, to explain why they should not be directed to protect the lake.

According to the Bengali daily, a dam of over five bighas of land was created across Gulshan Lake, dividing it in the middle. Several tin-shed houses have also been erected along the dam by claiming land ownership.

AKM Saifuddin Ahmed appeared for Rajuk and Raisuddin Ahmed defended BTCL, while Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain represented the government.

Source: The Daily Star

Blocks of Memories

The impending demolition of Wonderland does stir one's memory. With the tumble of every brick, a fragment of our memory is firmly put to rest. The echoes of laughter, tears, fear, joy and anticipation still resonate from within the area all of us were once all too familiar with. And although pieces of our childhood disappear in this ever-changing city of ours, the memories stay forever.

Many amongst us reminisce about the very first taste of ice-cream at an actual ice-cream parlour. How excited we were, as we all bundled into our Volkswagons or Publicas and made our way towards Flamingo, Snow White or Cinderella. Although the options were few, for us it seemed limitless. The twirly ice-creams on wafer thin cones are still considered more delightful than all that we have now. Then, one day, along came Rainbow and introduced us to a whole new world of ice cream experiences. Would we dare try the new flavours or ever be able to finish the highly expensive Tk.400 worth eight scoops Ice Cream bonanza called Volcano?

The lucky among us still recall our Fridays with a fondness attached that the Fridays of now have lost. A trip to Sangshad Bhaban was surely necessary, running or skating down the slope that lay before the imposing parliament building or flying kites and playing cricket on the abundant fields that lay on the side. Then we could move on to Zia Uddyan and climb down those huge hills which now seem as unimpressive as possible. The Zoo was always an option and so was a casual stroll down Ramna Park, being awed by the huge bats hanging on the trees or chasing the many squirrels. Dinner at one of the few Chinese restaurants would follow and just before heading home a stopover at Filmfare would ensure a quality VHS movie for the night, once again with family.

Even the occasions seemed more special back then. A birthday would mean a custom-made cake in numerous shapes or an elegant cake from Sonargaon. Birthday gifts had to be from Rajanigandha in UAE market, which stocked the largest collection of toys, expensive as they came yet of superior quality. Khazana was an option too then. Sports World would also suffice, when it came to all things sporty. Back then, joy rides were a way of life. There was no traffic to bother us and Bookworm and Pizza Howdy seemed like the ideal place to unwind. And every day would round off with family time.

Indeed, to the lucky few, those were the days. However, as the days pass, the memories fade and the blocks of buildings and spaces that held such dear memories have all either gone or had a facelift, for better or for worse. The parks have been turned to malls, the roads have become clogged and the shops have shifted focus away from catering to families to catering to individuals. And here finally the realisation strikes; our beautiful memories weren't a product of the place we associate it with but rather of the people we were with. And looking at the same familiar faces around us, we derive some semblance of comfort, although the empty space on the sofa reminds us that there are some losses that can never be compensated for. So, we hang on to our memories, tighter than before, because although the sights, sounds and smells are changing, our reveries never will.

By Osama Rahman
Photo: Rashed Shumon

Source: Daily Star

Athena- a new gallery in town

On 19 May, 2012 Athena Gallery (a subsidiary of Rafia Foundation, a non-profit organisation) was officially inaugurated. The gallery is located at AJ Heights, Progoti Shorani, Uttar Badda.

The inauguration of the art gallery kicked off with an exhibition. And this was no ordinary exhibition for sure. The gallery was filled with paintings done by some of the biggest names in Bangladeshi art.

The physical layout of this exhibition has been designed chronologically. As you enter the gallery and start the tour of the exhibition, you will see paintings of older artists who have passed away, such as Zainul Abedin for example. As you move forward, you will come across paintings by living legends. Finally, if you go down further, you will be able to enjoy works done by more contemporary artists.

Having a rather spacious interior, the gallery, at the exhibition on the opening ceremony, hosted some of the most famous paintings in Bangladesh. Indeed, this has been one of those rare exhibitions where you see the greatest works of art done by the masters. The energy was therefore very electrifying and overwhelming.

However, Athena is not all about showcasing works of the gurus. The chief aim of Athena Gallery is to promote young artists of Bangladesh. Athena Gallery promises to open that platform to young talents who usually do not have a good stage from where they can showcase their talents to art lovers, critics, and patrons.

Athena, therefore, will strive to display their works alongside the works of those who are already eminent. Bringing artworks of the young artists and those of the experienced and established ones under one roof will give art lovers the chance to evaluate the works of the young artists in comparison to those of their peers.

The gallery also has a small but very rich collection of books, from classics to the more contemporary.

Nilu Murshed, the chairperson, is an avid art patron. She has been collecting art for over 40 years and her vision and passion is to promote Bangladeshi artists on an international level. Having seen the everyday struggles where new artists have always been an underdog, her aim is to give recognition to nameless artists.

By M H Haider

Source: The Daily Star

Dr. Wadud and his Mini Private Zoo

His grandfather was a forest officer. Sometimes he visited forests with his grandfather and observed birds in the woods. Sometimes he used to draw birds in his homework books. After finishing academic career from Dhaka University he devoted his life towards preserving various species of birds. I’m talking about the bird specialist Dr.Abdul Wadud who has been actively involved in collecting and preserving birds for the past two decades. He is fond of preserving extinct species of birds. Dr. Abdul Wadud feels these birds are his family. He is the owner of a private zoo which is situated in Hatirpool in the city. It is difficult to imagine that such a stunning mini zoo could be located in a city like Dhaka. He who wants to derive some joy in watching birds and does not have time to visit Mirpur zoo can easily visit this private zoo of Dr. Wadud.

There are large collections of foreign exotic birds in this private mini zoo. Dr.Wadud has collected almost 500 species of birds from 87 countries around the world. Cage birds and wild birds -- both have found their place in his huge collection. Among them Scarlet Macaw, Hahns Macaw, Bourke’s Parakeet, Rainbow lorry ,Moluccan Cocatua, Sulphurcrested Cocatua , Silver Pheasant, Rainbow Lory, Sun Conure, Kakariki Easrern Rosella, Chattering Lory, Wood Pigeon, Red Kite, Northern Cardinal, Water Rail and Peacock are worth mentioning. These rare species of exotic birds are not usually seen in South Asia.

The main highlight of the Zoo is Blue and Gold Macaw. Blue and Gold Macaw is one of the largest and gaudiest of all parrots, familiar worldwide as showpiece cage birds. “A couple of this birds was collected in 1997 from Brazil and since then research and experiments are going on for its breeding in Bangladeshi climate. I bought the blue and gold Macaw couple in exchange of tk.40 lakhs” said Dr. Wadud.

Last year the precious female Blue and Gold Macaw hatched eggs for the first time in Bangladesh. The female hatched four eggs in total but unfortunately none were fertile. In August 2011 the Macaw hatched two eggs again. The two surviving chicks are growing day by day. It is monitored 24 hours by close circuit camera. The “Blue –gold Macaw hatched egg for the first time in South Asia.” Dr. Wadud informed.

“However, the climate and environment of this sub-continent is not suitable for its proper breeding.” He added.

Most of the visitors come here every day to observe only the attractive precious birds Blue and Gold Macaw. The highly intelligent and beautifully coloured Macaw species come from deep inside the Amazon rainforest. The pattern of dark lines on the face of these parrots is unique to each individual bird.
Dr Wadud has a small collection of native birds as well. Among the native birds –Sparrow, Moina, Dove, Dhanesh from Bandarban forest are prominent. Dr. Wadud feels that the government should permit breeding native birds in order to save these birds from extinction.

Along with birds, there are some other attractive animals in his collection. Spiked Rat, Deer, etc are a part of the remarkable collection. But he mainly collects foreign exotic birds. Every day the birds are being provided 18 items of food and per month the expenditure on pet food is about Tk.3 lacs.

The latest collection of the zoo will be an addition of world’s most precious bird named Hyacinth Macaw—worth tk.75 lacs. It will reach next month in Bangladesh. Any one can visit the Mini Zoo and Birds kingdom at 22/2,Sonargaon Road,Hatirpool, Dhaka in exchange of an entrance fee of Tk 50.

Source: The Independent

Rajuk starts work on open park on land of Wonderland
Staff Correspondent

http://newagebd.com/newspic/658947d75357b53a0cf748a38eb13d3d20120625.jpg

Rubbles lie littered at the demolished Wonderland Amusement Park. — New Age phto
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha has started working on its plan to set up an open park on the land of ‘Wonderland Park’, which the city development authorities pulled down last month.
On May 7, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakhha conducted a demolition drive at Wonderland Amusement Park at Gulshan in the capital following a May 3 order of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
Rajuk’s magistrate Rokon-ud-Doula conducted the drive, following a court order that declared illegal the lease of the land by the erstwhile Dhaka City Corporation on which the park was built.
Rajuk’s executive engineer Nurul Islam told New Age, ‘Already we have started implementing our decision to turn the amusement park into an open park.’
He said, ‘Two organisations have submitted their plan of the park, which will have separate corner for kids, elderly people and walkways.’
He said, ‘Rajuk’s technical team will evaluate the proposed designs and at first we want to complete the boundary wall of the park.’
Rajuk’s supervisor Rawshan Alam said they would finish the wall in two months.
He said, ‘A total of 14 labourers are working every day to clean the park.’
‘We have demolished the park as the land belongs to the erstwhile Dhaka City Corporation and the Supreme Court has declared the establishment illegal on this land,’ said Rajuk magistrate Rokon-ud-Doula.
Though the then Dhaka City Corporation mayor in 1990 was officially entrusted to take care of the playground, he leased out the said portion of the Gulshan Central Playground to develop the commercial amusement park, he said.
The park was built occupying around four acres of land of the Gulshan Central Playground.

Source: New Age

Independence Monument at Suhrawardy Udyan by June 2013

State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Captain (retd) AB Tajul Islam on Monday informed the House the Taka 181.61 crore Independence Monu-ment at Suhrawardy Udyan here would be fully opened to people before June 2013, reports BSS.
Presently decoration of underground museum of the monument is progre-ssing and it will be completed by 2012-13 fiscal year, he said while replying a question, tabled by treasury bench member Begum Faridunnahar Laily.
The state minister said the underground museum was first opened to public on March 7, 2011 by decorating it partially. Later, it was closed for completing the decoration of the museum, he added.
Capt Tajul said the work on the project was supposed to complete by June 2012, but the timeframe has been extended to June 2013.
Replying to another query, tabled by treasury bench member Abdullah Al Islam Jacob, Tajul said the government has taken a massive programme to preserve and development of areas where crucial battles took place during the War of Liberation.
As part of the progr-amme, the constriction of 48 monuments is now progressing across the country.

Source: The Independent

Mirpur zoo buzzing with new animals


SATURDAY, 04 AUGUST 2012 AUTHOR / SOURCE : BSS
DHAKA, Aug 3: The National Zoo at Mirpur in the city is now buzzing with new inmates as the authorities procured 51 animals and 209 birds in last two months for better entertainment of the visit. The 51 animal of 21 species and 209 birds of 19 species have been brought from South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Canada and India. Ten more animals and birds will be brought in the zoo. Talking to BSS, Curator Dr ABM Shahidullah said the number of visitors is increasing following the procurement of the new animals and birds. The zoo is overflowing with visitors on holidays.
He said the new animals and birds have already started taking local food and they will be tolerant to the temperature in Bangladesh.
To enhance beauty of the zoo and attract more visitors, the government decided to procure animals from different countries. As per the government move, there was a decision to bring 270
animals and birds of different species at a cost of Taka 95 lakh. Tenders were invited in December 2011 to procure those animals and birds. Completing the necessary procedures, Falcon Traders got the job.

Source: The Independent

Wonderland now open to all for a free walk
Reborn as RAJUK Central Park
→ Akhlak Hossain

Wonderland Amusement Park is now Rajuk Central Park. (Inset) Workers decorate a wall with elaborate plasterwork. Bayazid Akter
The park which was considered for the kids of privileged posh area now has become an open spot of recreation for all as it is now being run under the government supervision.

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), the city-development authority, is now working on the land of Wonderland Amusement Park for establishing an open park for the mass people.

The park in the city’s Gulshan area was demolished by RAJUK as the owners had encroached upon Dhaka City Corporation land.

Armed with a court order, RAJUK magistrate Rokon-ud-Doula led a demolition drive at Wonderland Amusement Park in May this year.

According to another RAJUK magistrate, Maruf Hasan, “The land belongs to RAJUK. The four acres of land had been allocated to Dhaka City Corporation for building a children’s park open for all. But the city corporation had leased the land to a private company, ignoring existing rules.”

Dhaka, the capital of the country, has been facing immense pressure of crowds as open spaces are frequently being occupied for housing and other establishments.

For lack of open fields and parks, city-dwellers are not getting enough scope to walk or move, especially at one’s leisure.

M Mahbub UL Alam, member (development) of RAJUK, said the city-development authority has taken initiative to set up an open park there as establishing an open park was a previous plan.

The authority has also sought interior design of the park. In addition, RAJUK’s designers are also working in this regard. When the design will be finalized, the main works will be started. Some important workings like tree plantings, sitting arrangements and building washrooms will be done in the park, he added.

Presently, the boundary walls of the resurrected park are being constructed. Besides, garbage dumps are being removed.

The RAJUK officials said some non-mechanized items will be arranged for the children’s recreation in the park.

While visiting the park Thursday, this correspondent found the park renamed as “RAJUK Central Park”. Fifteen workers were seen busy constructing the walls of the park.

Talking to daily sun many people expressed their satisfaction for taking such as initiative by the city developer.

They said after establishing an open park people of the city, especially the residents of Gulshan area, will be highly benefited as they will gain the facilities of walking about, moving or spending leisure time in a natural environment. So the authorities should give emphasis on the park for it over- all beautification.

Rabiul Awal, an engineer now working in a company named Abdul Monem Ltd, said living in city most of people do not get adequate open space, so obviously, this park will play a very important role .

“But the security of the park should be ensured for visitors”, he added.

This park should be a natural park where city people would be able to enjoy the natural environment. A large number of trees should be planted there to make the park a beautiful one, said M I Mazumder, a private employee in the city.

He also said Dhaka is now an overpopulated city in the world so more open places are needed to get relief from hazardous environment.

Source: Daily Sun

Blocks of Memories

The impending demolition of Wonderland does stir one's memory. With the tumble of every brick, a fragment of our memory is firmly put to rest. The echoes of laughter, tears, fear, joy and anticipation still resonate from within the area all of us were once all too familiar with. And although pieces of our childhood disappear in this ever-changing city of ours, the memories stay forever.

Many amongst us reminisce about the very first taste of ice-cream at an actual ice-cream parlour. How excited we were, as we all bundled into our Volkswagons or Publicas and made our way towards Flamingo, Snow White or Cinderella. Although the options were few, for us it seemed limitless. The twirly ice-creams on wafer thin cones are still considered more delightful than all that we have now. Then, one day, along came Rainbow and introduced us to a whole new world of ice cream experiences. Would we dare try the new flavours or ever be able to finish the highly expensive Tk.400 worth eight scoops Ice Cream bonanza called Volcano?

The lucky among us still recall our Fridays with a fondness attached that the Fridays of now have lost. A trip to Sangshad Bhaban was surely necessary, running or skating down the slope that lay before the imposing parliament building or flying kites and playing cricket on the abundant fields that lay on the side. Then we could move on to Zia Uddyan and climb down those huge hills which now seem as unimpressive as possible. The Zoo was always an option and so was a casual stroll down Ramna Park, being awed by the huge bats hanging on the trees or chasing the many squirrels. Dinner at one of the few Chinese restaurants would follow and just before heading home a stopover at Filmfare would ensure a quality VHS movie for the night, once again with family.

Even the occasions seemed more special back then. A birthday would mean a custom-made cake in numerous shapes or an elegant cake from Sonargaon. Birthday gifts had to be from Rajanigandha in UAE market, which stocked the largest collection of toys, expensive as they came yet of superior quality. Khazana was an option too then. Sports World would also suffice, when it came to all things sporty. Back then, joy rides were a way of life. There was no traffic to bother us and Bookworm and Pizza Howdy seemed like the ideal place to unwind. And every day would round off with family time.

Indeed, to the lucky few, those were the days. However, as the days pass, the memories fade and the blocks of buildings and spaces that held such dear memories have all either gone or had a facelift, for better or for worse. The parks have been turned to malls, the roads have become clogged and the shops have shifted focus away from catering to families to catering to individuals. And here finally the realisation strikes; our beautiful memories weren't a product of the place we associate it with but rather of the people we were with. And looking at the same familiar faces around us, we derive some semblance of comfort, although the empty space on the sofa reminds us that there are some losses that can never be compensated for. So, we hang on to our memories, tighter than before, because although the sights, sounds and smells are changing, our reveries never will.

By Osama Rahman
Photo: Rashed Shumon

Source: Daily Star

So true....I remember doing almost all the things mentioned here.This just brought back lotsa memories from the mid 90s.

^^
Why are these reports being posted in this thread?

^^
Why are these reports being posted in this thread?

IDK but someone should contact admin.

doesnt matter if he put these status here or not , we are muslims so we definitely should help our muslims brothers , bangladesh now need to take some serious step about this , when i last visited coxbazar i seen their are so many mayanmar people who i think is buddiest , so bd need to get these buddihst out of our country and bring our muslims brother in bangladesh since they torturing them on their country , or fu** myanmar just takeover the whole country , i believe bangladesh is much richer than myanmar as of rite now and bd armys are one of the talented armys in the world , and also i can see pakistan will also help us , we muslims are cannot just sitdown anymore and watch our neiboughr brother killing brutally it is time that we react for allah sake

doesnt matter if he put these status here or not , we are muslims so we definitely should help our muslims brothers , bangladesh now need to take some serious step about this , when i last visited coxbazar i seen their are so many mayanmar people who i think is buddiest , so bd need to get these buddihst out of our country and bring our muslims brother in bangladesh since they torturing them on their country , or fu** myanmar just takeover the whole country , i believe bangladesh is much richer than myanmar as of rite now and bd armys are one of the talented armys in the world , and also i can see pakistan will also help us , we muslims are cannot just sitdown anymore and watch our neiboughr brother killing brutally it is time that we react for allah sake


what are you doing in america? isnt that a kaffir country?

why doesnt saudi arabia or any other oil rich mozlem country step up? no mozlem brotherhood there?

doesnt matter if he put these status here or not , we are muslims so we definitely should help our muslims brothers , bangladesh now need to take some serious step about this , when i last visited coxbazar i seen their are so many mayanmar people who i think is buddiest , so bd need to get these buddihst out of our country and bring our muslims brother in bangladesh since they torturing them on their country , or fu** myanmar just takeover the whole country , i believe bangladesh is much richer than myanmar as of rite now and bd armys are one of the talented armys in the world , and also i can see pakistan will also help us , we muslims are cannot just sitdown anymore and watch our neiboughr brother killing brutally it is time that we react for allah sake

what are you doing in america? isnt that a kaffir country?

why doesnt saudi arabia or any other oil rich mozlem country step up? no mozlem brotherhood there?

This isn't the place (thread) or an appropriate forum for such topics to be discussed/debated. Please take it somewhere else, outside of SSC. Thanks.

@ PAK STAR

Please cease and desist from posting material that is irrelevant to this forum. Should you continue, appropriate measures shall be taken. Thanks.

@ PAK STAR

Please cease and desist from posting material that is irrelevant to this forum. Should you continue, appropriate measures shall be taken. Thanks.
ok i just need to highlight this. because Bangladesh can be helpful for Muslims in Burma.

ok i just need to highlight this. because Bangladesh can be helpful for Muslims in Burma.

This forum is apolitical.

Mirpur zoo buzzing with 230 new guests

Dhaka, Aug 20 (bdnews24.com) – The National Zoo at Mirpur in the city is now buzzing with new inmates as the authorities have brought 230 new animals and birds in the last two months for better entertainment of visitors during the Eid-ul-Fitr.

The new members of the zoo family including white lion, white rhinoceroses, reticulated giraffes and crested pigeons (ocyphaps lophotes)

Curator Dr A B M Shahidullah told bdnews24.com that the animals were procured from South Africa, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Thailand, India, Czech Republic and many other countries for nearly Tk 45 million.

"At the initial stage, the animals were kept in special management so that they could adjust to and tolerate the temperature of this region. Now they are there to give more entertainment to the visitors during the Eid holidays," he added.

He hoped that the number of visitors would increase this year following procurement of new animals and birds. The zoo usually remains overflowing with visitors on Eid holidays.

The other new animals procured for the National Zoo include new species of zebras, spotted hyenas, Ramon Becerra Horses and some 20 new species of birds, including macaw parrots of the Amazon rainforest and ostriches.

Besides, the impalas, waterbucks, donkeys, common elands, hippopotamuses, racer monkeys, entellus and the crocodiles of the zoo would give birth to cubs while the pythons, peacocks and green doves would lay eggs within few days, the curator said.

Shahidullah said to enrich the collection of the animals and birds at the National Zoo, several rare species of birds, special species of monkey, ringtail lemur, new species of chimpanzee, red kangaroo and mandrill would be procured this year at a cost of Tk 25 million.

"Usually some 10,000 people visit the zoo every day. We hope that over 100,000 people will come here daily during the Eid holidays. The cubs given birth to by different animals at the zoo will add pleasure to the visitors. We've initiated steps to bring them to the view of the visitors."

He also said leave of all staff of the zoo had been cancelled to ensure order in the zoo as they were expecting a deluge of visitors during the holidays.

The employees of the zoo said that the rush of people at the zoo started from Sunday, and the gathering was mostly seen near the cages of the newly-acquired animals and birds.

School-teacher Afjal Hossain, who came to the zoo from the city's Shyamoli area along with his two sons, said like his sons, he was also amused to see the new zoo inmates. "I never thought I will see hyena out of the television screen."

The zoo authorities have newly installed 16 makeshift ticket counters to tackle the crowd of visitors during the Eid holidays.

The price of the entrance ticket has been raised to Tk 20 from Tk 10 this year.

Curator Shahidullah further informed that six teams were working to maintain law and order at the sensitive spots of the zoo. Each team comprises an official, six police personnel and two Ansar members.

Additionally, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the Detective Branch (DB) of police were there to help special security programmes.

Ten snacks shops were also set up inside the zoo for the convenience of visitors.

Established over sprawling 186.83 acres of land in 1974, the Mirpur zoo now has 45 carnivorous (flesh-eating) animals of 10 species and 154 large-size herbivores (plant-eating) ones of 22 species.

Besides, there are 225 animals of 28 species of small mammal and reptile origin. The zoo has also some 1,190 birds of 57 species and 341 fishes of 27 species in aquarium.

The National Zoo is an organisation under the Fisheries and Animal Resources Ministry. It came into being in 1950 on the High Court premises. Then it was shifted to Mirpur and opened for the public on June 23, 1974.

Rajuk to raze forests for housing
Trees, farmland in 1,600 acres area to vanish for Purbachal project

A woman collects dry leaves in Gazipur sal forest in Parabartha village to use them as fuel for cooking. Thousands like her depend on the forest which is now under threat of destruction due to a housing project of Rajuk. Interestingly, a housing and public works ministry letter in 2010 told the PMO that there was no forest there. Inset, the map made by Rajuk consultant Datex shows the land acquired for the scheme. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq
Pinaki Roy
Around 1,300 acres of forest will be wiped out to make way for the Rajuk's Purbachal housing project in Gazipur.

The district administration has already acquired around 1,600 acres of land in five villages under Kaliganj upazila for the scheme that has no environment clearance from the Department of Environment (DoE).

Nearly 10 thousand people, mostly farmers and fishermen, live in the area. For years, they have been preserving sal trees on their private land.

A DoE report in 2010 said the housing project would ruin the area, which is rich in biodiversity. “Most of the acquired land is covered by sal forest. The tree coverage here is better than that in the Bhawal National Park.”

In a letter to Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on September 20, 2010, the housing and public works ministry said, “There is no forest or arable land in the acquired 1,589.8925 acres at Barakau and Parabartha mouja.”

The letter was sent in response to an inquiry by the PMO.

A land survey commissioned to Datex by the Rajuk itself says 42.46 percent of the area is covered by forest, 39.47 percent by cultivable land and 9.75 percent by homesteads. The rest consists of water body, road, playground, commercial area, graveyard and canal.

Talking to this correspondent, some villagers of Barakau, Bashabasi, Parabartha and Kalikut said they were under pressure to move as Rajuk was rushing to implement the project.

They alleged the Rajuk was offering some influential land owners extra compensation for the acquisition to breach the unity among villagers.

Zainal Mian, a farmer of Bashabashi, said the only work he does for a living is growing vegetables and rice on his one-bigha land. “I don't know what to do if I have to give away my land.”

Apart from sal trees, fruit orchards, bamboo groves, sandal and rain trees, mahoganies and also different medicinal plants are found in the villages on the eastern bank of the river Balu.

Kamrul Ahsan Suman, one of the locals, said sal trees grow on their own in the area adjacent to Bhawal Garh. “The villagers have been preserving the sal forest for years.”

The people say they are very much dependent on the forest that has at least 24 varieties of medicinal plants. They collect fodder, edible green leaf and tubers from the woods.

Also, those living in a cluster village work as day labourers in farmland.

Poor people of the five villages would lose their livelihood if the government goes ahead with the project, villagers said.

Asked about the housing scheme, Chief Conservator of Forest Yunus Ali said, he doesn't know of any such move by Rajuk. “If Rajuk really takes such an initiative, we will look into the matter.”

According to villagers, the Gazipur district administration first acquired the land in 1994.

However, following appeals from locals, the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina cancelled the acquisition order in March 2000 through a gazette notification.

Again, the BNP-led alliance government served notices upon the villagers in 2002 informing them of a plan to acquire the land.

Finally, the district administration issued a notice in 2009 saying the land was being reacquired, and asked villagers to receive Tk 1 lakh per bigha in compensation.

Around 6,000 acres of land -- some 1,600 acres in Gazipur and the rest in Narayanganj -- has been acquired for the Purbachal New Town Project of Rajuk.

Asked about the environment clearance, a top official of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) preferring anonymity told The Daily Star that they would build the residential area in an “environment friendly” way.

“It was the government that acquired land for the project, not Rajuk. We have to expand the city anyhow. Where would the additional people live?” he said.

“We would preserve some sal forest and also dig a lake there.”

Contacted, Anawar Hossain, the project director, said the deadline to complete the work was June next year. “But it won't be finished on time because of the opposition from locals.”

Source: Daily Star

Hatirjheel-Begunbari project nearing completion


FRIDAY, 31 AUGUST 2012 AUTHOR / SOURCE : FAISAL MAHMUD
DHAKA, AUG 30: Carpeting of roads and 10 bridges, under the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project, is progressing, although a bit slowly at the time due to rain. After a visit to the spot on Wednesday, The Independent found that about 80 per cent of the project work in the 299.24-acre land has been completed. However, for the past few weeks, work on the roads and bridges had to be stopped, due to heavy rain, even though the carpeting work on those was supposed to start a month back, after the end of the rainy season.
Project director Col. Abu Sayed Mohammad Masud said that the construction work on the 10-km embankment, along Begunbari and Hatirjheel canals, road dividers and footpaths, has already been completed.
The outer infrastructure of four over-passes, four bridges and two viaducts has also been constructed, he said, adding that the carpeting on those structures would start with the forecast of sunny weather.
These over-passes and bridges have been constructed at Begunbari Khal, Madhubagh, beside the Arrong of Niketon and Police Plaza and the Tongi Diversion Road, as part of an elaborate road network.
The project has a road network from the Tongi diversion to Rampura bridge, along Hatirjheel canal, which comprises a one-way express road with a two-way side road. A two-lane expressway goes from the Tongi diversion, through Gulshan, to Pragati Sarani.
To the south of the project, a two-way road from Sonargaon Hotel to the Tongi diversion, along Begunbari canal, is connected to Dilu Road. The north of the road, under the project, goes from the Begunbari powerhouse, through Kunipara and Gulshan-1, to Merul Badda.
After this road network is completed, traffic situation in Rampura, Moghbazar, Madhubagh, Ulan, Mohanagar, Merul Badda, Gulshan, Tejgaon and Begunbari would improve, the project director said.
Masud said that though the work is running behind schedule, hopefully the roads and bridges would be finished within the next two months. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to open the Hatirjheel-Begunabari project on December 16 this year,” he added. Meanwhile, the project site was found to be stinking, even in the rainy season. Officials of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage (DWASA), in charge of the work on the sewerage system inside the project area, said they are fixing the odour problem.
The stink would go away with the completion of the diversion sewerage, a DWASA official said.
The DWASA has been constructing a 10.40-km main diversion sewerage, 13-km local diversion sewerage, and 13 special diversion structures.
The integrated project, to the south of Sonargaon Hotel, started in July 2007, with the deadline of December 2012, on a budget of Tk. 1,971 crore. However, the project was originally scheduled to be completed by December 2010. It was delayed for a number of reasons.
The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), with assistance from the Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED), DWASA and the 16 Engineers Construction Battalion of the Bangladesh Army Special Works Organisation, is implementing the project.

Source: The Independent

Rajuk plans to build park in Gulshan
→ Staff correspondent


Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) has planned to establish a charming public park in Gulshan Central Park area with an artificial hill by using brick waste and stone and planting various categories of trees.

Rajuk sources said the public park will be open for the children and elderly people after completion of its construction work with walkway, some special corners and artificial hill.

“The main attraction of the park will be the artificial hill that will be built by using brick waste and stones,” said M Mahbub ul Alam, member of planning and development of Rajuk.

Mahbub said the authority earlier decided to sell off the brick waste and stone. But engineers of Rajuk now think of using the brick waste and stones to establish a modern hilly park at the site.

“Some days ago, we published an advertisement in various dailies to invite tender for the design of the artificial hill that would be established in Gulshan Central Park,” the member said.

“We will make the final decision on the design of artificial hill after compiling all the designs collected from different private companies and Rajuk,” he added.

Rajuk sources said the then land of Wonderland amusement park was given lease to a private company named Via Media Limited 22 years ago. But there was no option for Commercial Park in the posh Gulshan area, said Nurul Islam, executive engineer of Rajuk.

The then DIT authority handed over the land to Gulshan Pourashava in 1972. In 1990, the united Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) gave lease the land to Via Media Limited for establishing Wonderland amusement park.

MA Reja, a resident of Gulshan area, had filed a case with the High Court challenging its legality in 1995.

The High Court declared Wonderland amusement park illegal and ordered Rajuk to remove all structures from the land and to make it open to people.

As per the High Court order, the Rajuk asked the Wonderland amusement park authority to remove all illegal structures as early as possible. But Wonderland amusement park authority refused to do it and filed a writ petition against Rajuk demanding another place for the park.

A full bench of Appellate Division finally passed an order in favour of Rajuk on April 18 this year. The Rajuk then demolished all illegal structures of Wonderland amusement park.

Rajuk Magistrate Maruf Hasan said, “The land belongs to Rajuk. The four acres of land had been allocated to Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) for building a children’s park for all. But the city corporation had leased the land to a private company, ignoring existing rules.”

Dhaka, the capital of the country, has been facing immense pressure of people as open spaces are frequently being occupied for housing and other establishments.

For lack of open fields and parks, city dwellers are not getting enough scope to walk or move, especially during holiday.

An official of Rajuk said the city development authority has taken an initiative to set up an open park there according to its previous plan.

The authority has also sought interior design of the park. In addition, Rajuk’s designers are also working in this regard. When the design will be finalised, the main work will be started. Some important work like tree plantation, seating arrangement and building washrooms will be done in the park, he added.

Source: Daily Sun

In this interesting video, we see a Bike Rally that took place during Eid last month that shows a number of projects mentioned in this thread:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3kpDiCmW8g

They go through Sherebanglanagar, Tejgaon, Banani (Kemal Ataturk Ave), Gulshan-2 (near the Circle), Gulshan-1 (near KFC) and end at Hatirjheel bridge near Police Plaza Concord.

US to help protect Kaptai Nat'l Park

Staff Correspondent

US ambassador Dan Mozena on Sunday attends a programme of wheat distribution under a project of school feeding and nutrition in Chittagong. — FNS photo
US ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer and US ambassador Dan Mozena on Sunday visited Kaptai National Park under the project of Integrated Protected Area Co-Management Project funded by US Agency for International Development.
The delegation explored the park trails and discussed about natural conversion and government management to protect the natural areas with the local communities.
The discussion took place at Kaptai with representatives from the co-management committee, a village conservation forum, government officials and a women’s bamboo basket producers’ group.
IPAC has been working with local communities and Bangladesh government for the last three years to preserve the natural resources of Kaptai National Park.
According to global climate change initiative of US president Barack Obama, IPAC works with the local communities through USAID for sustainable development.
A key goal of IPAC is to provide income-generating opportunities to the local indigenous communities to offer alternatives to unsustainable exploitation of natural resources in the protected areas.
Alternative income generation opportunities includes eco-boats, training for eco-tour guides, and bamboo basket weaving which help the members of the local communities to reduce their unemployment.
Over the last 13 years, the USAID and Bangladesh government supported the Nishorgo Network, a national group working for protected forests and wetlands conservation through co-management.
Co-management brings the government and community groups together to share the roles, rights, and responsibilities of ecosystem conservation.
More than 680,000 hectares of 25 protected areas are under improved management projects as a result of these efforts.

Source: New Age

Setting the wheels in motion

What started off as a way to unwind for a group of friends has now transcended itself into a movement of national proportions with international affiliations. Back in May 2011, when founder Mozzamel Haque along with his friends went on a biking trip, fashioned under the BDcyclist banner, they had no idea of what was to soon transpire. In a span of merely five years, BDcyclist now boasts over 5000 members, with offshoots of their project spreading all the way to Chittagong, Comilla and Mymensingh among others. Bdcyclist now doesn't promote just a healthy outlet to relieve one of stress but has become more of a lifestyle choice.

BDcyclist initially offered people respite and a way to negotiate traffic during the rush hour, reaching destinations easily within 20-30 minutes, despite the gridlock by using bicycles. However, the intense amount of interest this cycling adventure generated led to the BDcyclist group organising more events and thus spurring interest even further. One of their most popular activities takes place on Friday. Aptly called 'Bike Friday', a group of 50 plus bikers show up at a designated point, usually Sangsad Bhaban, on Friday mornings at 5:30 am and begin their adventure. Moving further away from the city, they travel onwards towards the villages and places basking in green glory, travelling 20-40 km, towards Bosila, Beribandh, Keraniganj and numerous other locations. The bikers follow up the ride with breakfast and then all head home, re-energised for the day.

For those who seek more thrill than a means to chill, opt to partake in Josshila Saturday, which presents numerous adrenaline pumped, long-distance, fast paced, endurance rides through challenging trails. A favourite among the bikers are Rupganj Shalbon, Mawa route and Birulia riverside route. These routes usually span over 200, 300 and even 400 km which many have covered within 24 hours. However, this is more for the seasoned riders and not something beginners would want to try out.

For beginners, BDcyclist offers training programmes, which one can sign up for and that takes place at 7:00 am at Abahani. The group provides the bikes and doesn't only teach one to ride a bike but also provides instructions on safety, equipment and all the while encouraging more women riders. Each session consists of only 10 new members, so as to provide a 1:1 or 1:2 training experience and even those who have never ridden a bike before can easily learn to do so by availing this opportunity.

Finally, BDC also partakes in the internationally recognised Critical Mass programme, where the bikers weave through the clogged streets of Dhaka and promote the use of non-motorised means of transport. This is not strictly restricted to bikes, as vans, rickshaws, roller blades, roller skates, skateboards and numerous other non-motorised means of transportation are also seen. This provides an opportunity to see and raise awareness about the efficiency with which such alternate modes of transport can be used in Dhaka.

Most of the members are students and office workers, from ages 6 and up. The relaxation one feels when biking through the hidden scenic visages of Dhaka and its outskirts is amplified amongst a group of like-minded people. And finally, bicycles are clean and environmentally friendly and coupled with the fact that they are fast, it is no wonder that they are steadily regaining a popularity long lost. BDcyclist is bringing cycling back to the scene and one should take the opportunity to experience it.

Visit the BDcyclist website at www.bdcyclist.com or check out their Facebook page -- www.facebook.com/groups/bdcyclists..

Special thanks to Fuad Ahsan Chowdhury for details.

By Osama Rahman
Photo of Model: Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Model: Zamshad
Wardrobe: Trendz

Source: Daily Star

Planned tree plantation can enhance beauty

The unplanned planting of Fishtail palm, while the site is suitable for Hijol,Jarul Barun and Kadam tree Photo: Sourav Mahmud
Sourav Mahmud
Not once upon a time, rather just a few decades ago, Dhaka was a beautiful green city. Due to infrastructure and building construction by felling trees, and unplanned plantation to at least partially replenish that, the green views of Dhaka city has already disappeared. Now Dhaka is a city of shops, a city without water bodies, green fields and with lots of bad things which demerit human health condition and also the environment. The greenery started declining day by day from both surroundings and inner parts of Dhaka city conspicuously from 1980s. Only the DU and BUET campus, Ramna Park and Suhurawardy Uddyan and Agargaon could survive the onslaught as yet. The plantation now we can see only on the island between two ways of some roads. The footpath is treeless in most parts. And the species diversity is not good or proper. The city was beatified by the British and other leaders of that period. But we failed to preserve that beauty and we ever did not think to do something like them. We have done so called plantation and also political tree plantation here and there. We did not think it deeply. As a result we can see although initiatives are taken to improve the situation, but not systematically and scientifically.

It is good that the government is going to conserve the Hatirjheel-Bagunbari wetland. The construction work is still continuing. We have seen a few new roads have been laid out there. But in a survey it is seen that unplanned and invalid plantation is occurring there. During a recent field observation the tree plantation in the area was not seemed to be planwise. A good number of Fishtail palm, Royal palm, date palm, Debdaru tree, ornamental dwarf fig, coconut palm have already been planted. But the nature lovers hope for a six-season colourful views from every road of Haterjheel. They naturally want to see here wetland trees like Hijol, Barun, Kadam, Chalta, Jarul and Karoch along the new roads of the area.

It is a matter of sorrow that a lot of date palms planted on the new roads are already dying. The sizes of the trees planted are 6-13 feet and that had been pulled from other places. But here should have been planted very young saplings or seeds. Same thing happened in case of Royal palm and Fishtail palm. In the primary stage sapling from seed is very good for growth as it spreads out its roots systematically and thus will live long. But a date palm about 13 feet high uprooted from one place to be planted elsewhere can't be able to adapt with the environment. And date palm is not a plant for this site; also Fishtail palm which needs shady area to grow. But unfortunately the planter doesn't seem to have thought about this and perhaps is not landscape and plant specialist.

It is not possible to get back the Dhaka of 50s or 60s. But systematic and scientific plan can make Dhaka more green and shady than it is now. Planwise plantation can turn Dhaka into a six season flowering city.

Hatirjheel is a new area without tree. We just cannot get another such open plantation spot in Dhaka. So it is urgently needed to make a checklist of planting flora and other appropriate trees and need to recruit a plant and landscape specialist to give a beautiful shape to the plantation of the area.

As a botanist, I have some proposal for the plantation. The area is a wetland site. So wetland plants would suit it must. Hijol, Karoc, Jarul, Barun, Chalta should be planted here. Shade trees like Bakul, Telsur, Kanokchura, Padauk, Nageshore, Chatim, Bot, Asowath could be planted as well. Trees like Jarul, Sonalu, Krisnachura, Pakhiphul, Sornochampa, Jakaranda, Peltofourm, Gulachi can enhance summer view. There can be a few avenues of Jarul and Krisnachura to create a variety in colour. There can be one avenue or two of Sornochampa and Jakaranda of bluish violet colour. These trees are remarkable not only for their shape but also for their flowers. Peltophorum or Kurchi might have separate avenues. Gulachi these days are of various colours and grow naturally. They don't require any extra attention.

To keep the spring alive there are Kanakchanpa, Rudro Palash, Lal Sonaiel, Muchkundo, Palash, Parijat, Shimul, Gamari, Lotkonful, Milletia, Gliricidia, Golapjamful etc. There can be separate avenues of individual spring flowers, or there can be mixed avenues as well to create a variety in colours. The plants like Kontoklata, Madhobi, Nilmoni, Hapormali etc would further add to the beauty of spring. The list of monsoon flowers is quite long. There can be a pretty long avenue of Kodom and Sultanchanpa and Canonball trees. Hijalas can be planted along the water edge. The other flowers of monsoon like Maloti, Jhumko, Dolonchanpa, Kanthalichampa, Hasnahena, Sonapati, Ulotcondal, Oporajita, Korobi could be planted in beds and it will make the beauty of monsoon accessible to all.

For autumn a large road slope near water body could be chosen for Kash, and Sheuli close by on a relatively higher place. Lotus can be planted in the water bodies. The beauty of lotus in the autumn is unique. Bokful of different colours may also be chosen for some places. Kash will protect erosion and make soil harder. The flowers of late autumn partly contribute some feelings to the ambience if we plant Himjhuri or Akashneem, Debkanchan Chateem etc. There can be a pretty big avenue with Devkanchon alone. Side by side, some brightly coloured herbs and shrubs and plants like Dahliya, Aster, Cosmos, Jinia, Calendula, Chrysanthemum and Sunflower have to be chosen for winter.

Already we have seen view bird species like pond heron, little heron, cattle egret, water cormorant and brahmini kite there. If the water quality improves and the aquatic vegetation gets enriched it might be possible to gather migratory and resident water birds there. For gathering singing birds trees like Hamalia, Bot, Aswath, Jamru could be planted. For beautifying the water corridor Sahapla, Shaluk Chadmala can be planted therein besides lotus.

It is completely a new place for plantation. So we are getting a scope to beautify the landscape of this area more decoratively. So the government should take urgent initiatives to beautify the area with scientific and planwise plantation.

The writer is a biodiversity specialist, CEGIS nature.sourav@gmail.com

Source: Daily Star

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyMneDwEB9c

Recent report on Hatirjheel project

Hatirjheel

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Dhanmondi Lake:

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After years of walking through the dark, dank and dirty Karwan Bazar underpass that sent chills down one's spine, Dhaka City Corporation North, with the support of two private enterprises, have turned this much-needed mini-tunnel into a well-lit place for people to cross, admire the paintings and be welcomed by hundreds of butterflies (not real of course). We sincerely hope the 'Butterfly Cave' continues to be a pleasure to walk through. (STAR)

Baridhara Lake Side Park is currently undergoing a renovation project. The 1 lakh 32 thousand sq ft area is undergoing a major beautification initiative sponsored by RAJUK, Baridhara Society, City Bank Ltd and Spotlight Event Management Ltd. With newly developed pathways, decorated water fountains, wide open fields; this park will become the most elegantly designed recreation area of the city.

Render images:

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Hatirjheel Project Images (Nov 2012)

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BEGUNBARI-HATIRJHEEL PROJECT

Officials claim most of work completed

Ferdous Ara

http://www.thedailystar.net/forum/2010/march/dhaka15.jpg

The Begunbari-Hatirjheel project is going to open to people on November 30, with the authorities claiming to have completed most of the work of the project.
Except for the relocation of three mosques, road carpeting in some parts of the project area and landscaping, which is the added part of the project, most of the work has been completed, the project officials have claimed.
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha superintending engineer and project director ASM Raihanul Ferdous said the road network was completed but setting up a pump station and Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant, which the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority is tasked with, was yet to be finished.
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology professor Mujibur Rahman said the designs for the pump station and sewage treatment plant was in the final stage while the pump station would take one year and the sewage treatment plant two years to be constructed.
He said the project was undertaken to protect the water body from encroachment and for proper waste management in the area and construct a road stretch linking Karwanbazar with Rampura to reduce traffic congestion in the city.
Mujibur said the whole Hatirjheel was a ‘waste land’ and in some places the depth of sludge was 9-15 metres against normal sludge depth of 5 metre and they had removed sludge.
He said that now the water quality of Hatirjheel was much better and it would be a clear lake when Daserkandi Treatment Plant would be completed.
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha, 16 Engineering Construction Battalion of Bangladesh Army, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority and Local Government Engineering Department are jointly implementing the Tk 1971.3048 crore project with BUET as the consultant.
The project director, Abu Syeed Md Masud, told New Age that they had completed the main work of the project and 95 per cent development work was finished.
The main objectives were to improve the drainage system, connect the east with the west part of the city, build a proper sewerage, and construct walkways and roads around Hatirjheel and Begunbari canals to improve communication and reduce traffic jam, he said.
He said out this project area two mosques were relocated and there were still three mosques in the lake area which would also be relocated before 15 December.
Road network is completed and road carpeting in some parts of project area will be completed by the deadline, he said.
Landscaping, constructing u-loops near Rampura and Management Bhaban, which are the added parts of this project, will be completed within one year, he said.
The project director, Abu Syeed Md Masud, said, ‘Integrated development of Hatirjheel area including Begunbari Khal project’ is expected to be inaugurated on December 15 by the prime minister.
He said the road would ease traffic movement from Rampura to Karwanbazar and Moghbazar and the roads would also connect four bridges, four overpasses, two-lane expressways and U-loops near Rampura Bridge and have adjoining walkways and waterbus services.
The traffic situation in Moghbazar, Madhubagh, Ulan, Mohanagar, Dasherpara, Rampura, Merul Badda, Gulshan, Tejgaon and Begunbari would improve once the project was completed, said he
Brigadier General Abu Syeed said they had constructed 4 bridges, 2 viaducts out of 3, 4 overpasses, 4 kilometres of footpath out of 8.8, 4 kilometre walkway out of 9.8 kilometres.
To enhance the beauty of this project they would do gardening and set up park, and this is an additional part of this project to be completed by next year, he said.
The Begunbari-Hatirjheel project has two parts. The south portion comprises a two-way road from Sonargaon Hotel to Tongi Diversion along the Begunbari canal and connected to Dilu Road, said the project officials.
It also has a road network from Tongi Diversion to Rampura Bridge along Hatirjheel canal, which has a one-way express road with a two-way side road. A two-lane expressway goes from Tongi Diversion via Gulshan to Pragati Sarani.
In the north portion, a road goes from Begunbari power house via Kunipara and Gulshan-1 to Merul Badda.
The housing and public works ministry took up the project scheduled to be completed by December 2010. Then the time was extended for a year until December 2011.
The authorities failed to start the construction work before 2010 as it had taken two years to complete the land acquisition and the project design, they said.

Source: New Age/Daily Sun

Does anyone have any updates on the numerous park projects - Gulshan Central Park, Baridhara Lake-Side Park, Gulshan Ladies Park and Gulshan Tank Park?

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Hatirjheel bridge

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Hatirjheel bridge

this bridge look way too smaller for crowded city ike dhaka , someone in bangladesh need to make new dhaka city cross the padma bridge

this bridge look way too smaller for crowded city ike dhaka , someone in bangladesh need to make new dhaka city cross the padma bridge

These bridges will accomodate one way traffic,which is why they are not that wide.

These bridges will accomodate one way traffic,which is why they are not that wide.

hmm thanks for mentioning it bhai

hmm thanks for mentioning it bhai

no prob bhai

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Recreation facilities to take one more year to be completed

Ferdous Ara

The Begunbari-Hatirjheel project would need one more year to provide recreation facilities for the Dhaka city dwellers.
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha project director ASM Raihanul Ferdous said landscaping, which is under the 2nd phase of this project, would need one more year to be completed.
LGED is about to complete construction of roads, bridges, viaducts and overpasses but it has just started the landscaping, an added part of this project, he said.
The landscaping includes setting up an information centre, celebration point, viewing decks, benches at different locations, game equipment for children, cycle stand and parking, bus stop shed, underpass, water-taxi terminal, footbridge above the road, footbridge over lake and terminal.
The project director, Brigadier General Abu Syeed Md Masud, said the landscaping was the additional part of the project which would take time to be finished.
He said an amphitheatre would be constructed on the banks of the lake at the back of Tejgaon industrial area so that people could watch performances at the theatre sitting in the open air by the lake waters.
There will be a water deck at Moghbazar, an open platform for entertainment on the lake.
In the middle of the lake, near Badda and West Rampura, there would be a forested island called ‘eco-centre’ which would be a sanctuary for all sorts of flora and fauna. People would travel by boat around the island but would not be permitted to land there.
To transport people across the lake, there would be two water-taxi terminals — one at Badda and one at Maghbazar. The water-taxies would take people up to the lake at Gulshan-1 and later it would be extended up to the lake at Gulshan-2 and Banani, said Abu Syeed.
There will be adequate number of public toilets, police box and security for the visitors. A draft for monitoring and maintenance of the main project area has already been prepared.
Abu Syeed Md MAsud said 95 per cent of the development work of ‘Integrated Development of Hatirjheel Area Including Begunbari Khal Project’ was completed and the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, was scheduled to open it on December 15.
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha is implementing the project with the assistance from Local Government Engineering Department, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority and the 16 Engineering Construction Battalion of the army while Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology is the consultant.
The main objectives of the project was to improve the drainage system, connect the eastern with the western part of the capital, build a proper sewerage and construct walkways and roads around Hatirjheel and Begunbari canals to improve communications and reduce traffic jam.

Source: New Age

Hatirjheel lake's inauguration rescheduled

Ferdous Ara

The inauguration of the much delayed Hatirjheel and Begunbari lakes has been rescheduled for January 2 as the project could not be completed.
The two lakes and their peripheral roads were scheduled to be inaugurated by prime minister Sheikh Hasina on 15 December.
The project director Brigadier General Abu Syeed Md Masud told New Age on Saturday that the inauguration of the project has been rescheduled for January 2.
The peripheral roads await carpeting as do landscaping, he said.
Recreation facilities including an ampitheatre would need one more year to complete, said Masud.
He said that some other major components had been put in place including drainage system, linking the eastern and the western parts of the project.
He said that the walkways had been completed.
The project is being jointly implemented by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, Local Government Engineering Department, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority and the 16 Engineering Construction Battalion of the army engineering corps with consultancy supervision from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
Initially, army engineering was given the project’s work by the military backed caretaker government during its two-year rule.
Rajuk project director A SM Raihanul Ferdous said that the component of landscaping which was the added later would take time for completion.
He said that discussions were on with BGME to relocate the towering building it had constructed in the middle of Begunbai Lake.
He said that Rajuk wants relocation of the BGMEA Bhaban to Uttara.
Slow implementation has delayed completion of the project due in 2008.

Source: New Age

Hatirjheel beautification:

http://files.bdnews24.com/gallery/2012/12/2012-12-12-16-59-52-December............Twelve%2007.jpg

http://files.bdnews24.com/gallery/2012/12/2012-12-12-16-59-43-December............Twelve%2006.jpg

http://files.bdnews24.com/gallery/2012/12/2012-12-12-16-59-36-December............Twelve%2005.jpg

http://files.bdnews24.com/gallery/2012/12/2012-12-12-16-59-27-December............Twelve%2004.jpg

WOW!!!!:banana:

REMOVED

Hatirjheel-Begunbari Recreation Area

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8212/8267153400_47c4fbedaf.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8497/8267150872_46e00fddd5.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8082/8266083449_64b730efc5.jpg

Source: Flickr

Check out newly remodeled Baridhara lakeside park!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60748145@N05/8255848424/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60748145@N05/8255856050/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60748145@N05/8255843866/in/photostream

Credit: Rafiqul Awal

BDCyclists Victory Day 2012 Bike ride (with Hatirjheel/Gulshan/Banani in background)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151385469470712&set=o.226155790730547&type=2&theater

Hatirjheel opens for public Jan 2

http://www.thedailystar.net/photo/2012/12/18/2012-12-18__fr08.jpg

With the long-awaited Hatirjheel-Begunbari development project nearing completion, the roads are set to be opened to the public on January 2.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to open the roads on the day, said Project Director Brigadier General Abu Sayed Mohammad Masud.

Major components of the project, such as the construction of a 10-km road, bridges and a water retention area, have been completed, he added.

Around 50 percent of the project's beautification work will remain unfinished at the time of the opening and will be done afterwards, he said.

The 10-km road has lanes that connect Bangla Motor, Dilu Road, Moghbazar, Ulan, Nayatola, Rampura, Begunbari and Kunipara areas.

The road connects four bridges, four small overpasses, a two-lane expressway, a two-way service road and an adjoining walkway. The project will also build two U-loops, which are small U-turn flyovers, at Rampura and Badda by the end of the next year.

The project has two areas ��" north and south. The south area comprises a two-way road from Sonargaon Hotel to Tongi Diversion Road along the Hatirjheel lake.

It forms a road network from Tongi Diversion Road to Rampura bridge and is comprised of a one-way road with a two-way service road. A two-lane expressway from the diversion road goes to Pragati Sarani via Gulshan.

In the north area, a road goes from Begunbari power plant to Merul Badda via Kunipara and Gulshan-1.

The new roads are expected to ease traffic movement in Moghbazar, Madhubagh, Ulan, Mahanagar, Rampura, Merul Badda, Gulshan, Tejgaon and Begunbari.

It will take over three years to build a waste treatment plant at Dasherkandi, said Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan.

A lifting station will be set up at Rampura for pumping out waste water, he added.

Prof Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), whose team studied the project's feasibility, said the lifting station has to pump 5000 cubic metres of water daily, which will flow to Sutibhola canal through a two-kilometre-long underground pipe.

He said Buet will be able to design the lifting station by the next month and it may take around two years to set it up.

Rajuk, Dhaka Wasa, Local Government Engineering Department and 16 Engineering Construction Battalion of the army are jointly implementing the project, of which Buet is the consultant.

Source: Daily Star

___________________________________________

Tk 1971cr Hatirjheel Project opens Jan 2
. Mithun Kamal
The much talked about Hatirjheel Project, which was a bold step of the past caretaker government (CG), to create a most essential water reservoir for the capital and make it a beautiful landscape at the city center as a tourist attraction spot.
This project with massive infrastructures and entertainment facilities staggering over several square kilometers areas is now expected to be formally inaugurated on January 2.
This was a dream project of the Caretaker Government (CG) to create a breathing space in an otherwise suffocating city center with water bodies, walkways and plantations and was originally supposed to be completed by June in 2010, officials said.
"The project was started in 2007 by the CG at a cost of Tk 1,473 crore, but in 2009 the cost was upward revised to Tk 1480 crore and in 2011 again to Tk 1971 crore," said project director ASM Raihanul Ferdaus.
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and the Armed Forces Division (AFD), RAJUK, Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) are jointly implementing the project over around 245 acres of land. Delay in project implementation has so far caused an additional cost of Tk 498 crore to the project, the concern official said
"We faced a number of debacles to implement it and those were overcome.
It was a unique experience to overcome challenge in clearing so many obstacles, Md Shafiqul Islam, the then RAJUK chairman, told The New Nation on Thursday.
The project is a massive one, taken by the caretaker government only next to Kuril flyover or Bijoy Sarani Flyover Project, he said.
"One after another we faced multifarious problems in land acquiring and designing. We also faced problem in paying compensation, land developing and resolving cases to start with the project," Islam added.
He said even the compensation money has to be managed from other projects as the project cost went up beyond of expectation.
When contacted Barrister Mainul Hosein, former adviser to the CG for Ministry of Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Land and Public Works during that time said, that it was very tough to deal with Hilton Hotel which had taken lease of the land to build the hotel at this location.
The land belonging to the Land Ministry was earlier allocated for constructing the Hilton Hotel and also to a business house. It was possible to free the land for the project only because of direct army backing of the last caretaker government, he said.
He said he is most happy that such an important project could be saved.
Demolition of BGMEA Bhaban, illegally built on the project site was under consideration when he left the government, Mainul Hosein said, adding that the caretaker government has moreover engaged the armed forces to ensure implementation of the Hatirjheel Project.
The project includes amusement park, international standard theatre, captivating bridges, vibrant fountains, striking white stairs, cultural centre, children park, mosque and walkway at lakeside covered by trees, officials of the project said.
Under the project, 8-kilometre service road, 8.8-kilometre expressway, 4 bridges, 4 overpasses and three viaducts were built, he said, adding that colourful sailing boats will be new attractions for joyride of the tourists.
With the opening of the project, traffic movement between eastern and western parts of the capital will be eased, besides reducing water logging, maintaining ecological balance, preserving rainwater and increasing beauty of the city.
Almost all the 76 cases filed against the project were dismissed, the officials said.
Haji Mohammad Mohiuddin Khan, whose around 10 Katha land was acquired, said the government has paid him Tk 2.75 lakh for per katha though its cost is too high at per market value.
Most of the landowners like him at Ulan Road, Rampura have to pay 10 per cent bribe to the land surveyors or brokers to draw the acquired money, he alleged.
Besides, the landowners are now under pressure to close project-facing windows and doors. Not only that they have also been compelled to set up a wall between project and their residences, Khan said, adding: RAJUK is not also approving plan for constructing buildings closest to the project areas.
The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, is expected to inaugurate the project.

Source: New Nation

http://www.theindependentdigital.com/contents/2012/2012_12_18/content_zoom/2012_12_18_12_8_b.jpg

Rajuk yet to begin construction of Gulshan park

Ferdous Ara

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha found no time in seven months to start the construction of the central park at Gulshan-2 for which it had demolished the Wonderland Amusement Park for children in May.
The Wonderland Park was demolished on orders from the court to make way for the Gulshan Central Park.
The Wonderland Park was created by a private company on a four-acre city corporation plot reserved for Gulshan Central Playground.
Designed by architects of Rajuk the proposed park’s landscape architecture with open space, washrooms, senior citizens’ corner, kids’ zone, an amphitheatre, a food court, souvenir shop, playground, parking space for 118 cars and security box, got the approval of chairman, said assistant director (architrecture) Mostak Ahmed.
On completion it would meet the long felt need for a park in the area, Mostak said.
It would be a disabled-friendly park with ramp for the persons with disabilities, he said.
Rajuk expects to complete the tender process by December to start the construction by the end of January, said assistant executive engineer Rahat Muslemin.
Rajuk already built the boundary walls of the park, said executive engineer Nurul Islam.
As deigns, submitted by two companies, were not accepted, architects of Rajuk prepared the design, he said.
Following a Supreme Court order, Rajuk took the plan to turn the children’s amusement park into an open park, said Nurul Islam.
He said Rajuk demolished ‘Wonderland Park’ as it was created on city corporation land.
The court had declared the Wonderland Park illegal.
The Wonderland Park was built occupying around four acres of land of the Gulshan Central Playground.

Source: New Age

Hatirjheel opens for public Jan 2

http://www.thedailystar.net/photo/2012/12/18/2012-12-18__fr08.jpg

With the long-awaited Hatirjheel-Begunbari development project nearing completion, the roads are set to be opened to the public on January 2.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to open the roads on the day, said Project Director Brigadier General Abu Sayed Mohammad Masud.

Major components of the project, such as the construction of a 10-km road, bridges and a water retention area, have been completed, he added.

Around 50 percent of the project's beautification work will remain unfinished at the time of the opening and will be done afterwards, he said.

The 10-km road has lanes that connect Bangla Motor, Dilu Road, Moghbazar, Ulan, Nayatola, Rampura, Begunbari and Kunipara areas.

The road connects four bridges, four small overpasses, a two-lane expressway, a two-way service road and an adjoining walkway. The project will also build two U-loops, which are small U-turn flyovers, at Rampura and Badda by the end of the next year.

The project has two areas ��" north and south. The south area comprises a two-way road from Sonargaon Hotel to Tongi Diversion Road along the Hatirjheel lake.

It forms a road network from Tongi Diversion Road to Rampura bridge and is comprised of a one-way road with a two-way service road. A two-lane expressway from the diversion road goes to Pragati Sarani via Gulshan.

In the north area, a road goes from Begunbari power plant to Merul Badda via Kunipara and Gulshan-1.

The new roads are expected to ease traffic movement in Moghbazar, Madhubagh, Ulan, Mahanagar, Rampura, Merul Badda, Gulshan, Tejgaon and Begunbari.

It will take over three years to build a waste treatment plant at Dasherkandi, said Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan.

A lifting station will be set up at Rampura for pumping out waste water, he added.

Prof Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), whose team studied the project's feasibility, said the lifting station has to pump 5000 cubic metres of water daily, which will flow to Sutibhola canal through a two-kilometre-long underground pipe.

He said Buet will be able to design the lifting station by the next month and it may take around two years to set it up.

Rajuk, Dhaka Wasa, Local Government Engineering Department and 16 Engineering Construction Battalion of the army are jointly implementing the project, of which Buet is the consultant.

Source: Daily Star

___________________________________________

Tk 1971cr Hatirjheel Project opens Jan 2
. Mithun Kamal
The much talked about Hatirjheel Project, which was a bold step of the past caretaker government (CG), to create a most essential water reservoir for the capital and make it a beautiful landscape at the city center as a tourist attraction spot.
This project with massive infrastructures and entertainment facilities staggering over several square kilometers areas is now expected to be formally inaugurated on January 2.
This was a dream project of the Caretaker Government (CG) to create a breathing space in an otherwise suffocating city center with water bodies, walkways and plantations and was originally supposed to be completed by June in 2010, officials said.
"The project was started in 2007 by the CG at a cost of Tk 1,473 crore, but in 2009 the cost was upward revised to Tk 1480 crore and in 2011 again to Tk 1971 crore," said project director ASM Raihanul Ferdaus.
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and the Armed Forces Division (AFD), RAJUK, Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) are jointly implementing the project over around 245 acres of land. Delay in project implementation has so far caused an additional cost of Tk 498 crore to the project, the concern official said
"We faced a number of debacles to implement it and those were overcome.
It was a unique experience to overcome challenge in clearing so many obstacles, Md Shafiqul Islam, the then RAJUK chairman, told The New Nation on Thursday.
The project is a massive one, taken by the caretaker government only next to Kuril flyover or Bijoy Sarani Flyover Project, he said.
"One after another we faced multifarious problems in land acquiring and designing. We also faced problem in paying compensation, land developing and resolving cases to start with the project," Islam added.
He said even the compensation money has to be managed from other projects as the project cost went up beyond of expectation.
When contacted Barrister Mainul Hosein, former adviser to the CG for Ministry of Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Land and Public Works during that time said, that it was very tough to deal with Hilton Hotel which had taken lease of the land to build the hotel at this location.
The land belonging to the Land Ministry was earlier allocated for constructing the Hilton Hotel and also to a business house. It was possible to free the land for the project only because of direct army backing of the last caretaker government, he said.
He said he is most happy that such an important project could be saved.
Demolition of BGMEA Bhaban, illegally built on the project site was under consideration when he left the government, Mainul Hosein said, adding that the caretaker government has moreover engaged the armed forces to ensure implementation of the Hatirjheel Project.
The project includes amusement park, international standard theatre, captivating bridges, vibrant fountains, striking white stairs, cultural centre, children park, mosque and walkway at lakeside covered by trees, officials of the project said.
Under the project, 8-kilometre service road, 8.8-kilometre expressway, 4 bridges, 4 overpasses and three viaducts were built, he said, adding that colourful sailing boats will be new attractions for joyride of the tourists.
With the opening of the project, traffic movement between eastern and western parts of the capital will be eased, besides reducing water logging, maintaining ecological balance, preserving rainwater and increasing beauty of the city.
Almost all the 76 cases filed against the project were dismissed, the officials said.
Haji Mohammad Mohiuddin Khan, whose around 10 Katha land was acquired, said the government has paid him Tk 2.75 lakh for per katha though its cost is too high at per market value.
Most of the landowners like him at Ulan Road, Rampura have to pay 10 per cent bribe to the land surveyors or brokers to draw the acquired money, he alleged.
Besides, the landowners are now under pressure to close project-facing windows and doors. Not only that they have also been compelled to set up a wall between project and their residences, Khan said, adding: RAJUK is not also approving plan for constructing buildings closest to the project areas.
The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, is expected to inaugurate the project.

Source: New Nation

Updated with another article

http://thenewnationbd.com/news_image/daily_news/20121223/Color-5.jpg

Source: New Nation

Those power lines are annoying :(

Hatirjheel Project, photos by Ershad Ahmed

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thanks for the beautiful pic

Beautify Dhaka city: Ershad
Staff Correspondent
HM Ershad, former president and current member of parliament, yesterday emphasised the dire need for beautification and maintenance of the Dhaka city.

He also stressed the need for decentralising this city as it is burdened with overpopulation.

He made the remarks while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the renovated Baridhara Lakeside Park in the capital.

Ershad said, if he wins the next election, he will divide the whole country into seven provinces with provincial governments.

Mashrur Arefin, deputy managing director of City Bank, said the renovation of Baridhara Lakeside Park took 10 months to complete, with the work beginning in 2011 with Rajuk's permission.

City Bank financed the Tk 1.7 crore renovation project while Baridhara Society supervised it and Spotlight, an event management firm, carried out the year-long work, he said.

The renovation works included addition of walk ways, sitting spaces, toilets within park area and jet fountains on the lake, he added.

The ceremony concluded with fireworks and a presentation showing the park before and after the renovation.

Source: Daily Star

Hatirjheel Project

http://www.banglanews24.com/detailsnews.php?nssl=470c25e56ac0e9afd71698c2f2321364&nttl=162551

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nice ^^ pics

http://www.eprothomalo.com/contents/2013/2013_01_02/content_zoom/2013_01_02_16_3_b.jpg

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http://i46.tinypic.com/jhqzdc.jpg

Beautify Dhaka city: Ershad
Staff Correspondent
HM Ershad, former president and current member of parliament, yesterday emphasised the dire need for beautification and maintenance of the Dhaka city.


^^Good guy Ershad, talks about beautification of Dhaka city, while his posters make walls of Gulshan look like s*it

http://i46.tinypic.com/jhqzdc.jpg

thanks for the pics.... please do post more if possible...

I think I already see gridlock.... :nuts:

thanks for the pics.... please do post more if possible...

I think I already see gridlock.... :nuts:

:lol: I see that too!

http://www.daily-sun.com/admin/news_images/367/thumbnails/image_367_78943.jpg
Gulshan Central Parks awaits being set up into a proper park

http://www.newagebd.com/newspic/4e119a2f98105e9360b4848c5ec128f420130102.jpg

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WOWW!!!:banana:

My parents were there just a few days ago. Apparently it's pretty impressive and my father isn't usually impressed when it comes to most things Bangladesh. Hope it's maintained though.

Government must save "Buriganga /Sadarghat" now and take it as a high priority project.....

Government must save "Buriganga /Sadarghat" now and take it as a high priority project.....

Definitely a must. That area is very much neglected. A Hatirjheel style development will go a long away to remove the pollution and revive the scenic beauty of the riverfront.

Definitely a must. That area is very much neglected. A Hatirjheel style development will go a long away to remove the pollution and revive the scenic beauty of the riverfront.

Even if it takes 10 years it must start now. Dhaka shall never be the most liveable city may be but it can definitely be an awesome city still.

Hatirjheel Project night photos
by tanay hasan
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8357/8341697085_07362b333a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77753796@N05/8341697085/) Hatirjheel Bridge (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77753796@N05/8341697085/) by tanay hasan (http://www.flickr.com/people/77753796@N05/)
by ঘাস ফড়িং
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8079/8337298091_575f7676de.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/taken-by-musa/8337298091/)
This is the finest bridge at Hatirjheel-Begunbari project (http://www.flickr.com/photos/taken-by-musa/8337298091/) by ঘাস ফড়িং (http://www.flickr.com/people/taken-by-musa/)
by Sadman Chowdhury
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8323/8348686560_bd5c321bfb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sadmanchowdhury/8348686560/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sadmanchowdhury/8348686560/) by Sadman.Chowdhury (http://www.flickr.com/people/sadmanchowdhury/)

how can i delete this comment?

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Awesome pics guys...i just wish someone could get us a video of this place!

Awesome pics guys...i just wish someone could get us a video of this place!

Search it on Youtube. There's a couple videos, none of wonderful quality though :bash:

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Looking North towards Gulshan Lake

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Duck of Hatirjheel (illegal BGMEA building)

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Looking east from 1st Bridge (East West University, Pragati Sarani, Banasree, Aftabnagar, Rampura)

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Hatirjheel 2nd Bridge from East

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Looking east from 2nd Bridge

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Looking east from 3rd Bridge

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Looking west from 4th Bridge (Tejgaon Industrial Area)

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Looking west from Rampura/Banasree

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http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AhyG03dnsC8/UOwieZi-VPI/AAAAAAAAfkU/9u--5qhVzjI/s1600/10169.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PmYVIekbbH4/UOwiipu_hdI/AAAAAAAAfko/HZpxMzJXRkQ/s1600/10170.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zDSMjutC_Wg/UOwi21efZLI/AAAAAAAAflk/u3XFxBrEeLg/s1600/10179.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJxHTZ8XxaA/UOwi8CCHDVI/AAAAAAAAfl8/goS_Nu9ZvnM/s1600/10193.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hyRChuqt530/UOxXCuND-7I/AAAAAAAAfpM/4ywGSVQ6ET8/s1600/10200.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAGanqk1MDc/UOwjAlkttXI/AAAAAAAAfmQ/TQTY2MjHM98/s1600/10194.jpg

Source: Engr. Ershad Ahmed

^^:banana::banana:

thanks last couplop picture was great

Here's the latest article on Hatirjheel from today's edition of the Daily Star

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=264600


Hatirjheel seems to be a picture of Dhaka we could dream of. It is indeed a small piece of the capital that stood aloof from the rest. The sight of its jam-free express roads, uncluttered footpaths, modern bridges, walkways along a lake stretching as far as our eyes can see would compel us to forget the city we hear, see and experience every day.
.
.
Many visitors opted for car or motorcycle rides through the maze of interconnecting roads and bridges in order to grasp the true magnitude of the project. Traversing distances that once took hours now became a few minutes' journey.

Many said they were amazed by the well-planned project.

"Is this a time machine? How else is it possible to travel from Gulshan to Rampura in less than five minutes?” a university student said.

Everyone congratulated the government for taking such an initiative but with fear that like other public places in the city it would eventually become dirty and polluted for a lack of maintenance. There were paper bags and garbage already in some parts of the lake, said a visitor, while another pointed to some men who stood in a line urinating into the clean water of the lake as if it was their birthright.

"With citizens like these, who have no civic sense, for how long can you keep on blaming the authorities?" she said with rage and disgust. It is a fair question to ask, especially when people were actually caught on TV, destroying flower beds not even a week after the opening of Hatirjheel.

^^The govt. should employ RAB or army at locations within this development to beat mercilessly any idiot who tries to deface and defile this place. Oshobhbho manush lathir mair na khawa porjonto shikhkha kokhono pabe na :bash:

Here's the latest article on Hatirjheel from today's edition of the Daily Star

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=264600


Hatirjheel seems to be a picture of Dhaka we could dream of. It is indeed a small piece of the capital that stood aloof from the rest. The sight of its jam-free express roads, uncluttered footpaths, modern bridges, walkways along a lake stretching as far as our eyes can see would compel us to forget the city we hear, see and experience every day.
.
.
Many visitors opted for car or motorcycle rides through the maze of interconnecting roads and bridges in order to grasp the true magnitude of the project. Traversing distances that once took hours now became a few minutes' journey.

Many said they were amazed by the well-planned project.

"Is this a time machine? How else is it possible to travel from Gulshan to Rampura in less than five minutes?” a university student said.

Everyone congratulated the government for taking such an initiative but with fear that like other public places in the city it would eventually become dirty and polluted for a lack of maintenance. There were paper bags and garbage already in some parts of the lake, said a visitor, while another pointed to some men who stood in a line urinating into the clean water of the lake as if it was their birthright.

"With citizens like these, who have no civic sense, for how long can you keep on blaming the authorities?" she said with rage and disgust. It is a fair question to ask, especially when people were actually caught on TV, destroying flower beds not even a week after the opening of Hatirjheel.

^^The govt. should employ RAB or army at locations within this development to beat mercilessly any idiot who tries to deface and defile this place. Oshobhbho manush lathir mair na khawa porjonto shikhkha kokhono pabe na :bash:

They ought to have installed hidden cameras and a PA system. People would be scared out if their wits if they suddenly got barked at while littering, urinating or vandalizing. Alternatively, the government should allow the Army to "adopt" the project permanently. They'll (the military) find a way to keep it neat and clean.

They ought to have installed hidden cameras and a PA system. People would be scared out if their wits if they suddenly got barked at while littering, urinating or vandalizing. Alternatively, the government should allow the Army to "adopt" the project permanently. They'll (the military) find a way to keep it neat and clean.

Here's my take on this. Our populace has no civic sense because most of them, as the article states, think it's their birthright to trash and litter. They absolutely have no sense of right or wrong when it comes to cleanliness. People, whether they are rich, poor, educated, uneducated, corrupt or honest just think the dirty, grimy, messy condition of anything is the de facto status.

So what is the solution? I for one believe there needs to be mass educational campaign with effective ads and ENFORCEMENT to tackle this uncivilized behavior. Just like traffic cops fine people left and right, hire litter cops to do the same with the litter bugs or pissers. Once you start paying 500 taka( even if that's reduced to 100 taka bribe) per incidence, this person will not do it again.

We export cleaners to all over the Middle East, better hire some to keep our own country clean and pay them living wages. Also, install trash cans and dustbins in convenient locations and if anyone tries to steal these, just send them away for many many years! The "Eta Cholbe" attitude should be nipped in the bud.

They ought to have installed hidden cameras and a PA system. People would be scared out if their wits if they suddenly got barked at while littering, urinating or vandalizing. Alternatively, the government should allow the Army to "adopt" the project permanently. They'll (the military) find a way to keep it neat and clean.

I agree with you entirely.

Here's my take on this. Our populace has no civic sense because most of them, as the article states, think it's their birthright to trash and litter. They absolutely have no sense of right or wrong when it comes to cleanliness. People, whether they are rich, poor, educated, uneducated, corrupt or honest just think the dirty, grimy, messy condition of anything is the de facto status.

So what is the solution? I for one believe there needs to be mass educational campaign with effective ads and ENFORCEMENT to tackle this uncivilized behavior. Just like traffic cops fine people left and right, hire litter cops to do the same with the litter bugs or pissers. Once you start paying 500 taka( even if that's reduced to 100 taka bribe) per incidence, this person will not do it again.

We export cleaners to all over the Middle East, better hire some to keep our own country clean and pay them living wages. Also, install trash cans and dustbins in convenient locations and if anyone tries to steal these, just send them away for many many years! The "Eta Cholbe" attitude should be nipped in the bud.

What good has the traffic police fining people really done?

^^People dont care abt littering because they know some "lower class" will be assigned to cleaning the area. Heck most people in BD dont clean their own houses because they have maids and cleaners. Thats my take on this issue.

One thing to note from all the pics... i don't see a single litter bin by the sidewalks in any of the photos. Infact one would hardly see any trash cans around the city sidewalks be it Gulshan, Dhanmondi or Baridhara. Same goes for public toilets.

A hollistic approach is needed in order to keep a clean city, starting from putting adequate litterbins, resources to maintain them, civic campaign via Tv/radio and finally stringent rules and regulations for violators.

What good has the traffic police fining people really done?

I know drivers just hand out a bribe to the traffic police and get going because they don't want to be late or put up with the hassles of going to traffic court. But there's a difference with getting fined for littering. You are basically paying for a dumb behavior that you can easily rectify. Littering a sidewalk with a gum wrapper or plastic bag and having to pay 100-500 taka will hit you even if you are a rich person. People will associate littering with basically throwing away money in the air. Pretty soon everyone will be aware of this civic sense and will also prevent others from doing so.

I know this issue is not only confined to Bangladesh but most developing countries, even in the wealthy gulf states. There the people litter because they feel the "lowly" Bangali cleaner will sweep it away. During Hajj I was astonished at the amount of garbage people were trashing on the sidewalks and watched our poor countrymen constantly on the prowl to clean 'em up.

^^
It really isn't an impossible task. Nor is it just a case of "because we are Benaglis" that littering is in our genes, and other excuses that we cannot follow directions. I can cite two bright examples that appeared to insurmountable tasks at the time: 1) elimination of plastic bag usage, and complying with, 2) no smoking zones.

Today no merchant big or small, use those nasty plastic bags in Dhaka (I don't know about other cities). Similarly, Dhaka airport used to be a smoke filled building, and airlines faced a tough time battling with many Bangladeshi passengers to prevent them from lighting up on board. These days, that is a non issue. The airport is no longer smoked filled and flight attendants no longer have to keep on eye on smoke detectors in the aircraft lavatories.

WHERE ELEPHANTS ONCE TREAD

Zahir Hassan Nabil

Photos: Amirul Rajiv


Word of mouth has it that in the 1800s, the Pilkhana was used for keeping the state-owned elephants and rented out to rich Zamindars for keeping their elephants. The elephants were walked via Elephant Road to Hatirjheel (which literally means 'elephant's canal') for bathing. They were driven under a bridge at the juncture of Elephant Road and Paribagh, hence the name Hatirpool ('elephant's bridge), according to the book Kingbodontir Dhaka by Nazir Hossain.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/309687_3550220974313_1351122559_n.jpg

Until only a few years ago the acrid stench yards away from the Hatirjheel and Begunbari canals would slingshot people as far away as they could get. Onrush from the sewerage used to pour into the dead canals, the texture of which was only comparable to the black waters of the Buriganga river. The dump yard was nonetheless home to numerous illegal establishments including corporate and commercial ones. Imagine the contrast between the Zamindars' elegant elephants being taken for a bath in Hatirjheel and a wasteland on which the land grabbers were pursued by the Rajuk in the last few years.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/530770_3550220934312_2049169735_n.jpg

Things have changed quite drastically in the last two years. People from all walks of life swarmed to the lakeside following the inaugural ceremony of the Begunbari-Hatirjheel development scheme on January 2 and onwards. The Bailey bridge over the lake has already become a signature icon of the project. Vibrant flowerbeds were scattered over the landscapes; the canals had been dredged into deep lakes. Bricks were still being laid out here and there. Cameras were clicking away while people posed keeping the long expressways and the lake in the background, gusts would almost want to shove them off the bridge. Hundreds took the walkway starting from the Tejgaon side while some sat on the benches enjoying the lakeside view. It is only a matter of time till the carefully planted trees and feeble saplings grow into huge canopies to shade the walkways.


The dredged canals have become deep lakes where the water is clean and clear.

As dusk set, sturdy columns holding up the flyover and the bridge adorned with multi-coloured floodlights were floating like a glittery veneer on the lucent lake water. The well-lit roadways from a distance appeared as though illuminated lines had been furrowed up until the horizon. People had come with great anticipation to see how the ruins had become a sight for sore eyes. Some would not want to leave the lakesides up until 2 am the earlier night, an army official in charge of security informed.

Leaning on the railing of the Bailey bridge over the lake, CA student Rafiul said, “I didn't know until the inauguration that the project was initiated during the caretaker government's tenure,” thanking everyone who made the project a success.

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Around four years ago, Rajuk in association with Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) and the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), took up the project to recover the 304 acres of land and the city's largest water retention basin – Hatirjheel and Begunbari canals. Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) laid out the design while the 16 Engineering Construction Battalion (ECB) of the Bangladesh army took care of the construction.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/23318_3550220814309_785285218_n.jpg

One 10 kilometre express road stretching from east to west, a similar length walkway along the lake accompanied by a nine-kilometre service road with footpath are notable public facilities. Four overpasses, a 260-metre viaduct and six bridges add to the well-planned commuting network that should lessen traffic jams in all adjoining areas, particularly Badda, Gulshan, Modhubagh, Moghbazar, Mouchak, Rampura, Tejgaon and Ulan.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/530419_3550220774308_1807293555_n.jpg

Hatirjheel has become a place to visit and hang out for the entertainment-starved city dwellers.

Besides, once the Hatirjheel unites with the Gulshan lake, the first intracity waterway will kick off offering an uninterrupted ride from Baridhara to Tejgaon (FDC intersection at Tongi diversion road). The project's beautification and amusement facilities such as a celebration point, water court, floating walkway, viewing deck, children's play apparatus, water taxi terminal, lakeside landing steps, and amphitheatre are yet to shape up.

These days, it is hard to figure out the real 'heart' of the city - thanks to the real estate developers in town for naming almost every part of the city as “the heart” in their advertisements. Located just in the midst of major city areas, Hatirjheel with its aesthetic architecture combined with the greenery sprouting up in the upcoming spring will become the heart of the city from every aspect. The junction of a couple of dead-ends of Tejgaon, Moghbazar, Rampura etc are now surely open to endless possibilities for realtors.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/427541_3550220454300_1680256208_n.jpg

A trip along the neighbourhood near the Tejgaon area reveals that the people are overwhelmingly relieved to have the once-poisoned Hatirjheel and Begunbari canals turned into breathing hearts. A pharma shop owner, requesting anonymity, refers to the return of discipline, law and order in the area. “People living close to the lake at Tejgaon and Moghbazar got rid of the thugs and hooligans who used the lakeside as a hangout for drugs; crime in the area has reduced significantly,” he says with satisfaction.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/409700_3550220254295_1377567190_n.jpg

“All makeshift shanties on bamboo columns over the lake were cleared off as soon as the army took up the construction task", says a fish trader who visits the place every now and then as his son lives in the area. His wife sitting on a lakeside bench adds, "The local 'leaders' used to rent those out to slum dwellers.”

Sharmin, a housewife from Gulshan I, came with her family to see for herself how the place turned into a breathing space from its unliveable condition for years. The walkways parallel to the canals, the wide, two-lane expressway seem the most benefitting aspects of the project to her. “Our travels to Banglamotor and Tejgaon areas will be cut short; I wish there were more initiatives like this,” she says.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/182113_3550220214294_486984312_n.jpg

Once the Hatirjheel unites with Gulshan Lake, the first intracity waterway will kick off offering an
uninterrupted ride from Baridhara to Tejgaon.

Dhaka dwellers certainly look forward to several new projects that would sooth the city traffic. Just following the completion of the Banani overpass six days before the Hatirjheel inauguration, the flyover connecting Mirpur and Airport Road is expected to become functional in March this year. Construction work is underway for the 3.1 kilometre Kuril flyover at the Kuril intersection connecting Airport Road and Pragati Sarani, and the 10 kilometre Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover stretching between the Dhaka-Chittagong highway and Palashi. Over eight kilometres long, the Moghbazar – Mouchak flyover project will soon hit the road as well.

Over the last few years quite a handful of buildings had to be bulldozed to resuscitate the canal-turned-lake that has been prepared with an objective to contain and drain out excessive water in the city. Yet the 15-storey BGMEA building remains an eyesore on the Tejgaon brink of the canal. Rajuk Chairman Nurul Huda informs over the phone, “The High Court order regarding elimination of the BGMEA building in early 2011 is still awaiting decision at the Supreme Court.” Moreover the development project has some 78 cases filed against various eviction drives, he says.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/16573_3550220174293_1114342193_n.jpg

Quite contrary to the grandeur of the project, there is a gloomy, dark side too. It was as if a terrible misfortune had befallen on the slum dwellers and low-income people, many of whom were evicted from illegal establishments. Notably in September last year, around 400 shanties along the lake were reduced to ashes in a devastating fire. No casualties were reported in the incident that put about 2,000 slum dwellers into looming uncertainty. The tattered, somewhat unplanned and shabby look of the buildings, bazaars and slums in these areas now stand out in stark difference to the Hatirjheel development scheme. Both the lakesides were mainly occupied by low-income people who had been and will be affected the most by this project. It is a matter of great concern because in the last two years city house rent has reportedly increased by 26 percent whereas slum rent soared by almost 38 percent, according to Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) statistics.

In mid-2009, the then state minister for Housing declared to erect high-rise buildings for the people affected by the project. It is fortunate that the prime minister at the project's inaugural ceremony this year duly readdressed the issue and instructed the housing ministry to rehabilitate all the affected people and make sure that a list of genuine sufferers is made quickly before opportunists try to take advantage of the offer. Keeping in mind the soaring house rent and various hassles of relocating thousands, it is almost imperative that the government carries out what it had promised.

The projects' maintenance issues must be dealt with paramount importance to keep up such a brilliant urban development for the public. In praise of the effort in the project's opening, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam could not help but muse that the army may build the Padma Bridge. The making of the ambitious Hatirjheel project, that will sooth the city's burden in various ways, gives a lucid impression that things can still be turned around in the country with honest and disciplined efforts.

Source: Daily Star

^^ Hatirjheel sure does look good!

Hatirjheel photos
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8369/8370059269_c4bb6f50db_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/60748145@N05/8370059269/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8468/8374125838_2dd5992ff0_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/78758462@N04/8374125838/)
E60 - 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/78758462@N04/8374125838/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8515/8370268917_164ea30045_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/78758462@N04/8370268917/)
Under Hatirjheel Overpass

Awesome pics guys...i just wish someone could get us a video of this place!

Video of Hatirjheel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Qzsmn1MJ8


Guide:


Starts off at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Ave intersection in Tejgaon Industrial Area (Notice the two buildings behind it on the right, one of those is the planned Holiday Inn)


Notice that some signs are already existing, but they should add overhead signs for drivers viewing. Also notice the trash cans


Then, the driver crosses over the #2 bridge


Notice that there are already some pedestrian bridges, with some more under construction


Then, the driver crosses over the #3 bridge (behind Tejgaon-Gulshan link rd)


Then, the driver crosses over the #4 bridge near DIT Road, Badda/Rampura


Finally, the driver passes the Malibagh entrance road and returns to the starting point

Video of Hatirjheel


Guide:


Starts off at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Ave intersection in Tejgaon Industrial Area (Notice the two buildings behind it on the right, one of those is the planned Holiday Inn)


Notice that some signs are already existing, but they should add overhead signs for drivers viewing. Also notice the trash cans


Then, the driver crosses over the #2 bridge


Notice that there are already some pedestrian bridges, with some more under construction


Then, the driver crosses over the #3 bridge (behind Tejgaon-Gulshan link rd)


Then, the driver crosses over the #4 bridge near DIT Road, Badda/Rampura


Finally, the driver passes the Malibagh entrance road and returns to the starting point

Sorry cant see the link

Sorry cant see the link

Corrected.

^^ Got to say, that is a very impressive piece of work!

Modernisation of Dhaka zoo to begin within 6 months

The authorities have undertaken a project to create an open forest-like environment for the animals of National Zoo at Mirpur in Dhaka and Rangpur zoo, reports BSS.
When implemented, this project will upgrade the two public sector zoos to the international standard, said Dr ABM Shahidullah, curator of Dhaka zoo and director of 'Dhaka and Rangpur Zoo Modernisation' project.
He said, under the project, the two zoos would be changed completely through the development of geo-nature and infrastructures. The zoos would be made environment friendly.
There will be an environment of wildlife for the inmates of the zoos and modern facilities for the visitors.
The Department of Architecture of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology has been awarded the project. Work on the project will begin in the next five to six months.
The whole 186 acres of land in the Dhaka zoo will be fully utilized under the project. One-way roads will be constructed in the zoo and there will be main gate and other smaller gates of children's parks, security walls, stairs, shades for visitors, railings, road islands and dividers and forests in the zoo.
To restructure the cages for zoo inmates with the environment of forest, assistance will be taken from a Japanese zoo architect and a zoo consultant. Three-tier security will be ensured the half-natural cages.
There will be glass walls and steel nets to help the visitors have a close look of inmates with full security.
Automatic electric temperature controlling system will be installed to create necessary environment for a particular animal.
There will be an animal hospital and 10 murals of rare animals in the Dhaka zoo.
The project was initiated in 2010-11. A 10-member BUET team, led by Prof Sabbir Ahmed, conducted a survey and finalized a master plan and infrastructure plan.

Source: The Independent

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8084/8388371015_ba1fe846b3_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zrupam/8388371015/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8368/8408457020_d04f8e1f81_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shajal1photo/8408457020/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8502/8407934306_04949670bc_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sabik_akand/8407934306/)
Hatirjheel

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8368/8408457020_d04f8e1f81_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shajal1photo/8408457020/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8502/8407934306_04949670bc_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sabik_akand/8407934306/)
Hatirjheel

Beautiful pictures!

Beautiful pictures!

Yup, Hatirjheel look really gorgeous at night :cheers:

RAJUK released these rules in the newspapers and posted them at the Hatirjheel project

No parking except in designated spots (includes taking pictures of parked cars on the bridges)

No buses, trucks or covered vans allowed on the bridges or roads of the area

No climbing or touching flowers, plants or trees in the area

You must follow the instructions of the area staff, police and government officials who are present in the area

No businesses (except mobile food sellers) allowed

No food or drinks

No littering

Jason,given the width of the expressways and the service roads on both sides of the haitrjheel project,do u think dhakas building code would allow 150 feet tall buildings to be built by the side of these roads?

RAJUK released these rules in the newspapers and posted them at the Hatirjheel project

No parking except in designated spots (includes taking pictures of parked cars on the bridges)

No buses, trucks or covered vans allowed on the bridges or roads of the area

No climbing or touching flowers, plants or trees in the area

You must follow the instructions of the area staff, police and government officials who are present in the area

No businesses (except mobile food sellers) allowed

No food or drinks

No littering

The rules are good but they better enforce these. About the food, when they say mobile food vendors are allowed but no food or drinks, isn't that a contradiction? May be you can't bring in porotha and goshto from home to eat by the jheel, but can buy chotpoti and fuchka from the vendor.

Jason,given the width of the expressways and the service roads on both sides of the haitrjheel project,do u think dhakas building code would allow 150 feet tall buildings to be built by the side of these roads?

A 25 story building called Swan Lake with views overlooking Hatirjheel was launched yesterday; so I guess yes.

The rules are good but they better enforce these. About the food, when they say mobile food vendors are allowed but no food or drinks, isn't that a contradiction? May be you can't bring in porotha and goshto from home to eat by the jheel, but can buy chotpoti and fuchka from the vendor.

I think they meant no permanent stalls would be allowed.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8355/8396120696_11f18dbb64_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/-rokon/8396120696/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8351/8394907001_a5cfe9b7e1_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/78758462@N04/8394907001/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8361/8394665151_8da4f4b6be_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/reshad812/8394665151/)
Hatirjheel

^^Your pics leave me speechless:cheers:

^^Your pics leave me speechless:cheers:

Thanks brother :)

i been in hatirjeel its looks really nice specially at the night time

Enough about Hatirjheel; the next beautification project is in the works.

Baridhara-Gulshan-Banani-Mohakhali Lake beautification project:

11 illegal plots are in review to be looking to be reacquired into part of the lake (including Manarat International School)

46.64 acres (most of which is Korail slum) is looking to be reacquired for turning back into part of the lake; the slum dwellers would be reaccomodated at Uttara (3rd Phase)

Buildings at 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 of Gulshan Avenue were illegally handed over to owners during BNP's rule and will be reacquired for the lake

The lake will be dredged (made deeper) and replaced with fresh water.

42,000 ft of walkways will be built along the lake with lights and trashcans

Grass and trees will be placed along the sidewalks

A four-lane two-way road will be built from Baridhara Circle to connect with Hatirjheel at Police Plaza Concord (via Marium Tower, Shahajadpur and Badda)

The existing Gulshan-Shahajadpur Road over Gulshan Lake will be demolished and a bridge (similar to Banani bridge) will be built.

The existing Gulshan-1 to Mohakhali Road over Gulshan Lake will be demolished and a bridge (similar to Banani bridge) will be built.

The existing Gulshan-1 to Banani's Kemal Ataturk Road/Culvert over Gulshan Lake will be demolished and a bridge (similar to Banani bridge) will be built.

The existing Gulshan-2 to Baridhara (Gulshan Ave to Madani Ave) bridge will be demolished and a bridge (similar to Banani bridge) will be built

The existing Gulshan-2 to Badda (Gulshan-Badda Link Rd) bridge will be demolished and a bridge (similar to Banani bridge) will be built

The lake will get a boat club, boat facilities at multiple points, ampitheater, viewing tower, etc

In summary: all link roads will become bridges, the lake will get sidewalks, recreation facilities, improved lighting, more dustbins and illegal buildings will be demolished.

The current estimated completion year is 2016.

The project is financed by RAJUK and will be built/designed by Vitti Sthapati Brindo Limited.

On a side note, within a couple days Hatirjheel Lake's water will meet Gulshan Lake's water by demolishing the road behind one of Hatirjheel's new bridges and behind the Gulshan Shooting Club and will be replaced with a bridge.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/2048_476000792456762_1964861810_n.jpg
Hatirjheel at night

Enough about Hatirjheel; the next beautification project is in the works.

Baridhara-Gulshan-Banani-Mohakhali Lake beautification project:



In summary: all link roads will become bridges, the lake will get sidewalks, recreation facilities, improved lighting, more dustbins and illegal buildings will be demolished.

No timeline was given for the project.

The project is financed by RAJUK and will be built/designed by Vitti Sthapati Brindo Limited.

:banana::banana:

:banana::banana:
Completion year = 2016

They are also hoping to do the same for Kamrangir Char in Old Dhaka, with that projection looking to be finished in 2017.

:banana::banana:

:cheers:

Completion year = 2016

They are also hoping to do the same for Kamrangir Char in Old Dhaka, with that projection looking to be finished in 2017.

Cant wait!!

Completion year = 2016

They are also hoping to do the same for Kamrangir Char in Old Dhaka, with that projection looking to be finished in 2017.

I hope they really clean up buriganga.... the river is the main artery of Dhaka.
Even most foreigners visit this area and now it is a mess.. the river stinks sooo bad now.. :(

Another Hatirjheel video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCQjsCq0fuc

Hatirjheel Phase Two Renders:

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/207908_202784429752305_6022682_n.jpg

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/217297_202784213085660_6659672_n.jpg

Gopalgonj Swimming Pool Complex

http://www.bashat.com.bd/site_final/all_projects/new_gopalgonj_swim/gopal_swim.html

By Bashat Architects

Amusement park to be built in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, FEB 3: Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is going to build one more amusement park in the metropolis aimed at facilitating the city people with some joyful places and instruments. According to the RCC officials, the park named ‘Shalbagan’ will be built on 10 bigha of land in Chhotobangram area at an estimated cost of Taka five crore. A master plan has been prepared for the project for its effective implementation. Inaugurating construction works of the park RCC Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton here Sunday said city planning and its development activities are being implemented considering the demands of the future generation. As part of it, the Shalbagan Park is being
constructed.
He observed that the children can play, youths can practice sports and elders can spend leisure time, amuse and walk in the morning and evening at the park, which will remain open to all.
Elaborating his development plans he sought all-out cooperation of the city dwellers to complete his unfinished works in future.
He said the RCC has adopted the project for increasing city’s beauty and amusement facilities for the dwellers.

Source: BSS

Rooftop gardening growing popular in capital

City gardeners, experts for making roof gardening compulsory

Md Owasim Uddin Bhuyan

A gardener tends his fruit-bearing lemon plant grown in the garden on the roof of his house at Rampura in city.— New Age photo
Rooftop gardening becomes growingly popular in the Dhaka city as the land for gardening shrinks every day with construction of more and more new buildings.
City’s gardeners and agriculturists, however, cite yet another reason why more house owners getting keen on having a patch of greenery on their roofs, which is, they want vegetables and fruits fresh and free from poisonous chemicals.
The government Department of Agricultural Extension said around 6,000 rooftop gardens are in the Dhaka city.
ABM Wahidur Rahman, an agriculturist of DAE posted at its Tejgaon office, said some of the gardeners also sell their produce they grow on their roofs.
The DAE has divided the Dhaka city in three areas supervised by its three offices called Metropolitan Tejgaon, Metropolitan Gulshan and Metropolitan Mohammadpur.
It has found 3082 rooftop gardens in the neighbourhoods overseen by its Gulshan office, 2000 have been spotted in areas under its Tejgaon office and 600 in the Mohammadpur neighbourhoods.
Vegetables, fruits and flowers on their roofs grown in these gardens include aubergine, tomato, bottle gourd, ash gourd, beans, pumpkin, mango, sweet tamarind, litchi, banana, lemon, orange, guava, olive, strawberry, varieties of seasonal flowers, cacti and orchids.
The mature oranges putting on yellow hue in the roof garden of a Dhanmondi apartment will arrest anyone’s attention.
The owner of the garden is Nowsher Alam who runs an export-oriented garments business. He started the garden around one and a half years ago.
‘I have bought this 2000-square feet flat with the space above on the roof just for gardening,’ said Nowsher who lives in a top-floor apartment of the house.
The garden that took a lot of his labour, time and thought now yields a great amount of fresh fruits and vegetables for the family and flowers too.
‘I have now 25 fruit plants and 50 varieties of flowers,’ said the proud ‘farmer’ who travelled the gardens in Thailand, Sweden, France and Switzerland only to gather experience.
Apart from orange (locally known as ‘malta’) the garden is laden with mango, pomegranate, guava, jujube (apel boroi), orange, sapota (sofeda), star fruit (kamranga), grape, Java apple (Jamrul) and pomelo (jambura).
For vegetables he has grown chili and mint leaves, among others. Two ‘china banyan’ plants also adorn the garden.
‘The fruits I grow are fresh, sweet and free from pesticides,’ he said.
Hasan Sarwar Alam, a resident of Katasur Housing at Mohammadpur, said he has also grown vegetables, fruits and flowers altogether but in a much planned way in a 1500-square feet space on the roof.
‘I’ve collected the saplings from local nurseries,’ said Sarwar Alam, adding his wife and domestic helps also take care of the plants.
Nilufar Yeasmin, agriculture officer for DAE’s Gulshan, said many people in the area produce good quality mushrooms too on their roof gardens.
Green Roof Movement, an organisation of roof-gardeners, observed such gardens are increasing in the city.
‘We need to make people aware more about the potential of roof gardens,’ said organisation’s general secretary Mohammad Golam Haider.
He suggested that the city’s housing authority, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha, and the apex body of real estate companies, Real-estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh, should sit together and discuss how space can be created in the new buildings to make roof gardens.
Golam Haider also said the country’s building code should make roof gardening compulsory for house owners in the city.
Mahfuz Hossain Mirdah, deputy director of ‘Integrated quality horticulture development project’ of DAE, said currently less than one per cent of the existing space on the building roofs is utilised for gardening.
Citing data of Dhaka City Corporation collected around three years ago he said at that time the city and its adjacent areas had around 3.5 lakh holdings with as many houses.
Most of these houses are buildings and this means the roofs altogether could provide space equivalent to 30 thousand bigha (1 bigha = 33 decimals), Mirdah said.
‘This means all this space lies entirely unutilised,’ he added.
Habibur Rahman Mian, another agriculturist of DAE posted at its head office Khamarbari, further suggested that vegetables including aubergine and tomato can be grown in the cornice and sun-shades of buildings.
‘These spaces get enough sunlight at least four hours a day which is enough for growing these vegetables,’ he added.

Source: New Age

^^ That's a good initiative! Besides, rooftop garden can help to cool the building and reduce energy costs.

Recreation facilities will not be completed this year: officials

Ferdous Ara

The construction of a foot-bridge in the Hatirjheel project is still going on, making it clear that construction of the recreational facilities of the project will take some more time. — Sanaul Haque
Construction of recreation services on Begunbari-Hatirjheel project, which was supposed to end by this year, would take one more year to be completed, project officials said.
The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha project director, ASM Raihanul Ferdous, said landscaping, which is under the 2nd phase of this project, would not be completed this year.
Construction of eight public toilets, two police boxes, foot-bridge over the road and lake, viewing deck and floating deck is still going on, the project director said.
‘Construction of an amphitheatre on the bank of the lake will start soon behind Tejgaon industrial area so that people can watch theatre performance sitting in the open air,’ he said.
‘The project’s bridge construction is going on near Gulshan 1 Shooting Complex. Once the bridge is completed, the Gulshan Lake will be added to Hatirjheel- Begunbari Lake,’ he also said.
A draft of the rules for monitoring and maintenance of the main project area has already been prepared, the director said.
‘We have a plan to form a monitoring team that will patrol the project area in motorbikes,’ he said.
According to the officials, with the help of BRTA, they are planning to provide sticker to some light vehicles for passing through Hatirjheel-Begunbari Road at Tk 500 per year.
The main objectives of the project is to improve the drainage system, connect the eastern with the western part of the capital city, build a proper sewerage, construct walkways and roads around Hatirjheel and Begunbari canals to improve communications and reduce traffic jam.
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, inaugurated the ‘Integrated Development of Hatirjheel Area Including Begunbari Khal Project’ on January 2, 2013.
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha is implementing the project with the assistance from Local Government Engineering Department, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority and the 16 Engineering Construction Battalion of the army while Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology is the consultant.

Source: New Age

I hope they really clean up buriganga.... the river is the main artery of Dhaka.
Even most foreigners visit this area and now it is a mess.. the river stinks sooo bad now.. :(
**************
Completely agree, Sadarghat and the Chittagong highway are more urgent priorities to fix than Gulshan beautification.


Landscaping and cleanliness brings out natural beauty but why they put on so many animal figures into roundabouts is a mystery to me as these things do not add to beauty but rather obstruct clear viewing for traffic and give the streets a more cluttered look. Not every roundabout needs ornaments And ornaments have nothing to do with natural beauty. In the west you will never see ornaments built into roundabouts.

Video of newly renovated Baridhara Lake Side park

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g11wFhlJ4Xk

Gopalgonj Swimming Pool Complex

http://www.bashat.com.bd/site_final/all_projects/new_gopalgonj_swim/gopal_swim.html

By Bashat Architects


What's in Gopalganj that it should get this nice entertainment facility ?
Where is gopalganj?

What's in Gopalganj that it should get this nice entertainment facility ?
Where is gopalganj?

Politically it is the base of Awami League as SMR hails from Tungipara in the district. So I am sure there is some consideration to that as most Bangladeshi leaders try to do something for their home district, a la Rangpur during Ershad's time and Bogura/Feni during BNP's time.

Where? It's between Faridpur and Khulna.

Rajuk drags feet on Gulshan park construction

Ferdous Ara

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha has not yet started the construction of the Central Park Gulshan, for which they demolished the Wonderland Amusement Park on May 7, 2012.
The city development authorities razed the amusement park, which was one of the major sources of recreation for children in the capital, saying that it was set up illegally.
The Wonderland Park was built by a private company on a four-acre city corporation plot reserved for Gulshan Central Playground.
Farhana, a resident of Gulshan area, told New Age, ‘Almost one year ago, the authorities demolished Wonderland Amusement Park but no mentionable initiative was taken by them to build a new park.’
She said that Rajuk’s initiative to make it open park for all was good but they should to do it quickly.
Rajuk officials said tender process was taking too much time to go for the construction.
They have already completed the boundary wall of the park, said its assistant executive engineer Rahat Muslemin.
She told New Age that by April they would complete the tender process to start the construction work of the park.
Rahat said the park was designed by Rajuk’s architect and the proposed design already got approval.
According to the design, there will be an amphitheatre, senior citizens’ corner, kids’ zone, a food court, souvenir shop, playground, washrooms, parking space for around 118 cars and security box, she said.
The Rajuk engineer also said it would be a disabled-friendly park.
On May 7, Rajuk’s magistrate Rokon-ud-Doula conducted a demolition drive at Wonderland Amusement Park in line with a court order that declared illegal the lease of the land by the erstwhile Dhaka City Corporation on which the park was built.
The park was built occupying around four acres of land of the Gulshan Central Playground.

Dhanmondi Lake restoration work to continue till June

Archita Baroi

The Dhanomondi Lake restoration work completion deadline has been extended by six months from December 2012 to June 2013, officials concerned said.
The work is being done under the Improvement of Damaged Infrastructure and Civic Amenities in Dhanmondi Lake Project.
The officials said the additional time was needed to free some grabbed plots of land of the project area, change some architectural plans due to a budget constraint, and revise some of the project components.
They said the project authorities had already freed some lakeside areas beside Dhanmondi Road 27 and the Kalabagan playground.
The project had a component of building an orchid plaza, a butterfly park, on the lakeside beside Dhanmondi Road 6A, but the plan was changed in the face of complaints of some residents of the area who said they did not want it there. The orchid plaza is now being built beside the Kalabagan playground.
The officials also claimed after completion of the project, maintenance and security of the Dhanmondi Lake would be ensured properly.
Under the project all makeshift shops will be evicted from the area, mainly from Dhanmondi Road 8 and Rabindra Sarobar, replaced by some permanent food shops.
Dhaka South City Corporation chief engineer said the government undertook the massive scheme to beautify and ensure security and systematic maintenance of the 98-acre Dhanmondi Lake stretching from Dhanmondi Road 27 (old) to Dhanomndi Road 2 in April 2011.
The project funds come from the local government and rural development ministry through the DSCC.
The government will bear 90 per cent and the DSCC the rest of the project cost estimated at Tk 23.64 crore, the project officials said.
The 16 Engineering Construction Battalion under the Special Works Organisation of Bangladesh Army is implementing the project, with Vitti Sthapati Brindo working as the project consultant.
The project is designed to construct and reconstruct walkways and drainage system, build footpaths and foot over-bridges at Kalabagan and Dhanomndi Road 8, fountains, a children’s park, an orchid plaza, and urinal cubicles, and install a modern lighting system, said DSCC executive engineer Khairul Baker.
Vitti Sthapati Brindo director Iqbal Habib said their firm had restored the lake in 1997-98.
He said the lake was almost lost due to negligence and misuse and the restoration project in 1997-98 saved it to some extent. ‘Now we want to complete the job and add some new components which will ensure proper maintenance of the water body.’
The water of the lake has become highly polluted and the walkways and other structures have become badly damaged in the past 16 years, he said.
Iqbal said the project site was divided into seven areas. Footpaths and walkways have already been developed and the lake has been dredged in the area between Dhanmondi Road 27 (old) and Road 32 (old).
In Area 2 lying between Dhanmondi Road 32 (old) and the Kalabagan playground, we are constructing some sits and a raised garden, installing a lighting system on Dhanmondi Road 32 (old), and building a shed and renovating the Bangabandhu Smriti Angan in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum,’ he went on.
Iqbal said construction of the Russel Sishutosh Angan, a non-mechanised playground for children, and an orchid plaza beside the Kalabagan playground was in progress.
Besides, the project aims at restoring the drainage system, reconstructing the edge of the lake, building three floating decks for children to feed fishes, two foot over-bridges at Kalabagan and Dhanmondi Road 8, three public toilets, four fountains, and two gymnasiums at Dhanmondi roads 8 and 32 (old), and providing drinking water as well as irrigating tree plantations from a deep tube-well.
The Dhanmondi Lake and the park, a patch of greenery that provides the city-dwellers with relief and entertainment, strive to survive the onslaught of Dhaka’s ever-increasing population and organisational neglect.

Source: New Age

JS body move to save beauty of Hatirjheel

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Housing and Public Works recommended Wednesday that RAJUK should not approve any design of the plots below 10 kathas aiming to save the beauty of the Hatirjheel Project. The recommendation was made at the 44th meeting of the committee held at the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban in the city with its Chairman ABM Fazal Karim presiding. — FE Report

Well that's vague...

Baridhara Lakeside Park

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/150729_520095378032039_457406420_n.jpg

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/537426_520095551365355_212744581_n.jpg

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/558990_520095634698680_647987620_n.jpg

^^Baridhara park is looking much nicer


JS body move to save beauty of Hatirjheel

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Housing and Public Works recommended Wednesday that RAJUK should not approve any design of the plots below 10 kathas aiming to save the beauty of the Hatirjheel Project. The recommendation was made at the 44th meeting of the committee held at the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban in the city with its Chairman ABM Fazal Karim presiding. — FE Report

Well that's vague...

What kind of a "recommendation" is that???I mean what would happen to people who own 4 to 9 katha plots??:nuts:

I like this area of Dhaka so much due to the open space and greenery. I hope it remains same forever.

http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/557952_554980987880664_164855167_n.jpg

I like this area of Dhaka so much due to the open space and greenery. I hope it remains same forever.

http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/557952_554980987880664_164855167_n.jpg

I hope so to, but I am quite sure it will stay like that unless they build a bigger army museum or eventually replace Tejgaon airport with something else.

^^Baridhara park is looking much nicer




What kind of a "recommendation" is that???I mean what would happen to people who own 4 to 9 katha plots??:nuts:

Another example of a good public-private initiative (Baridhara Society, RAJUK and City Bank)

Dhaka Fashion Week 2013 Recap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0oA9LhoCSs&feature=share

Dhaka Fashion Week 2013 Recap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0oA9LhoCSs&feature=share

God, the music is so boring and out of sync with the modern upbeat rythem of a catwalk and clothes style.

God, the music is so boring and out of sync with the modern upbeat rythem of a catwalk and clothes style.

Agreed, I guess they were trying to stay "traditional". :ohno:

Dhaka, Rangpur zoos to be modernised

SOURCE: RAFIA CHOWDHURY
DHAKA, APR 13: The government has taken comprehensive steps to improve the condition of the Dhaka and Rangpur zoos so as to ensure that the wild animals and birds enjoy a congenial atmosphere, Dhaka Zoo’s deputy curator Dr Maksudul Hasan Howladar told The Independent. As part of this the programme, titled ‘Modernisation of Dhaka and Rangpur Zoos’, Dr Howladar said the zoos will have caves with statues of wild animals for creating the appearance of an artificial animal kingdom. “Nets will be set up to create a quasi-natural environment in the zoos, allowing some animals and birds to move freely inside,” he explained.
“We have also decided to save some endangered animals and birds under the project,” he added. Digital gates would be set up at the entry points for visitors, he further said.
“A feasibility study has already been conducted by a team of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) to make the programme a success. The estimated cost of the project has been fixed at about Tk. 3.50 crore. The project is expected to be completed by 2017.”
Describing the environment of the national zoo at Mirpur, he said, “There is a total of 137 cages containing about 2,150 birds and animals belonging to 191 species.”
The zoo official expressed his regret that it was understaffed. “There is a shortage of manpower and the animals and birds are not being supervised properly. The personnel lack the basic training for maintaining the zoo.”
“We don’t have the necessary arrangements for treating the wild animals. In many cases we have found ourselves helpless. Wild animals can properly survive in their natural environments, but many animals here have died because of insufficient power supply and dearth of medical facilities.”
“We bought 270 wild animals and birds in four phases from other countries in 2012. There were 54 animals and 216 birds of different species within an area of 185.63 acres of land, which is not sufficient for the wild animals,” he informed The Independent. “Besides, at least 50 birds and animals are passing their days in loneliness as their companions have died.”
He alleged that some parts of the zoo have been encroached upon by local goons and other miscreants, but the zoo authorities have been unable to protect the area as they have not received sufficient support from the government.
“Over the last four years, we did not get any budgetary allocation for purchasing food and medicines and for other logistical support. The animals have suffered immensely as they have not got enough food. This has happened because of the rise in the prices of fodder,” he added.
Replying to a query about the hawkers inside the zoo, he said, “We can’t take steps against them as we don’t have sufficient manpower. These hawkers enter the zoo in the guise of visitors or hop over the walls.”
Although the Dhaka zoo provides considerable entertainment to visitors, it is not profitable and has not earned enough revenue for the government. The zoo gets revenue from two main sources: by selling tickets at the entry point to visitors and by selling food and beverages at some restaurants.

Source: The Independent

Longest stretch of Alpona

http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Culture-10.jpg

Airtel and the daily Prothom Alo, in association with Berger Paints, organised “Alpona-e Baishakh”– a street painting, stretching across Manik Mia Avenue — to celebrate Pahela Baishakh, for the second year. The programme began in the late hours of Saturday and went on deep into the night, leaving one of the main streets of the capital bursting with bright, joyful colours on the dawn of Pahela Baishakh.

http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Culture-9.jpg

Airtel and the daily Prothom Alo, in association with Berger Paints, organised “Alpona-e Baishakh”– a street painting, stretching across Manik Mia Avenue — to celebrate Pahela Baishakh, for the second year. The programme began in the late hours of Saturday and went on deep into the night, leaving one of the main streets of the capital bursting with bright, joyful colours on the dawn of Pahela Baishakh. Photo: Ridwan Adid Rupon

Source: Daily Star

Parks and lakes around Dhaka

by Nadee Naboneeta Imran

Dhaka is undoubtedly our favourite city in spite of the numerous complains and hurdles we may come across. The pollution, commotion and congestion of which we are a regular victim are not enough to create a crack in the unbreakable bond that we Dhaka dwellers have with the city itself. How can we not love a city that amidst all the human encroachments still manages to refresh us with sights of greenery and freshness of the oasis that are spread around the city?
Dhaka at the time of its inception had never been planned to house so many people, and no one imagined that decades later the small parks and lakes designed to add to the ornamentation of the city would serve as sights of relief.
Most of us are familiar with the terrible traffic we often meet on the Dhanmondi Bridge; the unbearable honking of the horns, nerve wrecking haphazard movement of the vehicles would have surely driven us to our limits if not for the sight of the cool lake and the shady trees around to ease out the impatience. There are a few other such spots around Dhaka which not only help maintain the balance of the eco system but are great places for people to spend some time relaxing and enjoying.

Ramna Park

http://www.newagebd.com/upload/image/Life-18-04-2013/cover02.jpg

Coming to the most legendary hang out place in Dhaka with its glorious to the 1800s, Ramna Park. The park is a spectacle of about 68 acres of nature’s bests. Adorned with lakes, trees, bushes, paved pathways, children’s park, benches, it has everything that can cheer you up on a lousy day. This huge area has something for people of every age.
Be it a lonely walk through the park or a picnic on the open grounds with your friends or a quite seat by the peaceful lake, one can not just come out of Ramna Park without feeling revitalized. Unlike popular hangout places Ramna takes the liveliest forming in the morning when people flock there from all over the city for an early morning fresh walk, birds chirp all around and hawkers are busy starting off their daily business with selling hot tea, matha, etc. Its one of those rare places in present Dhaka where you can breath breathe fresh air and get a glimpse of some rare plants like Nageswarchapa, Swarnachapa, Camphor, Rita, Naglingam, Arjun, Mohua, Kusum, Telsu and Ashok etc.

http://www.newagebd.com/upload/image/Life-18-04-2013/cover03.jpg

The children have a good time running around the open field and using the various playing amenities installed in the park. The lake at Ramna has always been famous for giving serene and calm ambience to its visitors. People have lazed around this lake over decades and it still remains a favourite. Not to forget, the famous Chinese restaurant which has been serving people for ages.

Dhanmondi Lake

http://www.newagebd.com/upload/image/Life-18-04-2013/cover04.jpg

Dhanmondi Lake is a very popular hangout place for people of all ages and from every walk of life. Being situated in the heart of the centrally situated residential area, the man made lake wriggles through Dhanmondi where a lot of activities take place surrounding it all through the day. Beginning very early in the morning with joggers enjoying their fresh morning air as they walk the concrete paved walkway surrounding the lake; and getting more crowded as the day progresses and young people join in to have a good ‘adda’ in the cool ambience of the lake.
You will often find various cultural activities centred around the lake, like musical shows, dance performances, plays and sometimes art exhibitions. The lake takes on a festive colour especially in the evenings when people gather for a boat ride in the lake or just sit around the lake munching on jhalmuri, fuchka, chotpoti and others munchies and the water stands as a mirror reflecting the life of Dhanmondi on its calm surface.

Gulshan Lake

http://www.newagebd.com/upload/image/Life-18-04-2013/cover05.jpg

The luxurious Gulshan is known for skyscrapers and tall apartments but amidst these huge concrete structures a lake with a park around boldly holds its place. As you travel from Gulshan 2 towards Baridhara you will suddenly feel your eyes soothed by glimpse calm water flowing on both sides of the road. That is the Gulshan Lake.
With buildings lined up on either side of the long snake like lake, it’s tough to get completely lost in the arms of nature but nevertheless the cool breeze is surely a heart winner. The lake has a walkway paved all around with benches placed at some distance form each other to provide weary travellers some respite. The walkway is a great choice among joggers of the area. The lake looks magnificent at night when the light from the busy city intrudes the calm waters of the lake. There are even a few parks around Gulshan too both providing ample of space for the people to have a lazy walk and get a view of the green that is becoming so rare in the city.
So for those of us who were tired of the monotonous concrete all around and crave to reach out for some green and blue, we don’t need to shoot outside the city or across borders. We have our respites hidden amongst our territory; our eyes are just skipping them. So let us not forget these spots that bring us close to nature as we get closer to the results of globalization!

Chandrima Uddan

http://www.newagebd.com/upload/image/Life-18-04-2013/cover06.jpg

Not too far from Dhanmondi Lake is Chandrima Uddan. Overlooking the rear of the majestic Parliament Building is a well known destination for those looking for some fresh air amidst the shade of towering trees. The name doesn’t fully disclose the place; it is a length of space with rows of towering trees protecting everything below them from the scorching heat of the sun. There is a small water body in the front of the park with a hanging bridge over it.
The bridge is a big hit especially in the summers when the people lazily hang out on the bridge and enjoy the cool breeze. The mornings see numerous joggers flocking to the park. As the sun rises higher the parks are filled with people of different ages looking for a quite escape from the hustle bustle of the city.
The evenings at Chandrima Uddan are very crowded ones; couples enjoying the privacy amidst the tall trees, children loving the open space to run about and play to their hearts content while some get busy in the body maintenance schedules. It is not for anyone but for everyone, who would like to enjoy some time amongst the greenery and chirping birds. So why not take your family there over the weekend for a small picnic?

Source: New Age

SKY is the Limit

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“Limited in his nature, infinite in his desires,
Man is a fallen god who remembers heaven.”
Alphonse de Lamertine, ‘L’Homme,’ addressed to Byron in 1819.

It is the very desire of conquering the heavens that a few inspired among us choose to learn to fly. Born without wings they may be, but they choose to undertake the opportunity to let their hair down and their wings grow. They evolve from that talented boy or girl sitting next to you, into becoming something greater; they become one of the few to actually pursue their childhood dreams with perseverance and dedication. They become pilots, a position each one of us have, at least once, aspired to attain.

But taking flight isn’t an easy task. To fully understand the process and grasp the intricacies involved, there are steps that need to be taken. The first step is of course to enroll in a good pilot school. This is where Arirang Flying School comes into the picture. Arirang Aviation, a pioneer in regional and corporate flight operation, began 15 years ago. A stellar safety record and ample pride in quality of service provided saw Arirang Aviation firmly establish their reputation.

http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Page-14012.jpg
Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Youngone Corporation, after spending over a decade in this field, decided to establish the country’s premier flight school. . Kihak Sung, chairman of operations, shared this vision and understood the requirement for top quality pilots trained in the latest methods of operation.

On 15 September, 2010 Arirang Flying School was finally launched and by December of the same year, training for the very first batch started with 8 students enrolled.

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Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

“I never wanted to have more than 8 students per batch, because I wanted each of them to be made into a pilot, individually,” Captain Sikder Mesbahuddin Ahmed explained.
“This isn’t where we only just them the book knowledge to be pilots but we give them the pilot lifestyle from the very start.”

The hard work and planning put behind the school is quite evident. State of the art facilities, highly trained faculty members and the right environment are all present to ensure the transition of a child’s dream to reality.

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http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Page-15012.jpg
Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Aspiring pilots are trained, provided the best tools and curriculum and groomed to become assets of a burgeoning industry. What is rather evident is the emphasis given to safety with the students being reminded to take precautions every step of the way.

Even outside the walls of the classrooms, there are posters showing the safety measures that need to be taken before every flight. “We have an excellent flight safety record and we take it seriously,” Captain Ahmed informs.

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Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Arirang Aviation ensures the presence of foreign trained aeronautical engineers who keep the planes up to date and in perfect shape.

“We have the best training aircraft in the country and I don’t think any other school in this country offers that,” said a student, alluding to the presence of the famous Cirrus SR-20.

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http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Page-15031.jpg
Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

This machine is the jewel in the crown in a fleet boasting 8 different other aircrafts. Even old models like the Cessna have been upgraded with the newest machinery and controls.

Apart from introducing the pupils to the latest in industry standard avionics, complemented by comprehensive training in instrument flying along with an internationally approved curriculum. Students in the latest batch, will now be using iPads for all their classroom lessons, replacing the need to carry books.

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http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Page-1504.jpg

All lectures, slides and books also have soft copies which are regularly distributed among the students to always keep them in the loop. What’s also impressive is the meticulous entry of each and every student data, such as test scores, flight times, teacher’s notes, progress reports, etc, all filed away and kept also in soft copies to be handed to the students on their graduation.

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http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Page-1505.jpg
Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Arirang offers a two year course designed to breed the requirements of a great pilot into their pupils. The two year courses are conducted in two batches every year, in summer and winter. Since each batch takes no more than 10 applicants every semester, a meticulous selection process follows. Students are expected to sit through a 100 mark written exam on English, Math and IQ and then follow it up by taking a Viva in front of a specially selected board.

Along with a good command over English, Computer literacy is also expected. Applicants also must have a minimum of HSC or equivalent having the subjects Physics and Mathematics. The entire course, inclusive of food and boarding in Chittagong, sums up to a total outlay of around 35 lakh. However, the investment can be easily recouped given the growth in the aviation industry, with many domestic airlines opening their doors for business.

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Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Industry experts claim that a good pilot can easily get a starting salary of above Tk.50000 almost double than that of many fresh graduates in other sectors. Of course, with most pilots, monetary pursuit isn’t all that this is about.

It’s about reaching for the stars, aiming high and conquering heavens, testament to man’s infinite desires.

What also stands out is the number of female candidates aspiring to become pilots. Most of them name their fathers as inspirations and support, contradicting popular belief.

Shajidina Sultana Sony, a flight instructor at the school, believes that although it is hard for a female to break into this industry in Bangladesh, Arirang provides the most comfortable working environment and that everyone is quite encouraging. “We all face problems, but here, everyone present is very supportive and proud and everyone’s treated equally,” she says. This sentiment is repeated by the students, when quizzed on whether their gender ever became an issue, here or at home.

In the future, Arirang has grand plans.
They plan on increasing their fleet number from three to five and taking applicants from abroad. A computer based exam will also be introduced, along with a Simulator trainer and gaining multi engine rating.

“ I was a lecturer in the USA as well and my personal ambition is to make our facilities and our school better than the ones I taught at abroad,” Captain Ahmed stated. Along with proper guidance, Arirang provides all the necessities to help one become Bangladesh’s next best aviator, having already seen 16 commercial and private licenses being bestowed upon their graduates. Now, they are on course to give the next generation their set of wings. While that happens, Arirang Flying School shares a vision of forever moving forward and truly living the phrase, ‘sky is the limit’

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Special thanks to Arirang Flying School for arranging the photoshoot

Source: Daily Star

Is this college in Bangladesh ?

Is this college in Bangladesh ?

Yes it's at the Airport.

Good news: RAJUK is currently pursuing three companies to maintain the cleanliness of the Hatirjheel project including: daily sweeping of roads, sidewalks, drains and walkways, removing rubbish and hyacinths from the lake and removing garbage from the garbage cans to the nearby DNCC dustbins.

Good news: RAJUK is currently pursuing three companies to maintain the cleanliness of the Hatirjheel project including: daily sweeping of roads, sidewalks, drains and walkways, removing rubbish and hyacinths from the lake and removing garbage from the garbage cans to the nearby DNCC dustbins.

Now thats good news!

Good news: RAJUK is currently pursuing three companies to maintain the cleanliness of the Hatirjheel project including: daily sweeping of roads, sidewalks, drains and walkways, removing rubbish and hyacinths from the lake and removing garbage from the garbage cans to the nearby DNCC dustbins.

bro i wish they did that for all bangladesh city , than atleast we couldbe tell the foreigner that yeah our bnagladesh is clean , i guess its still a dream

Now thats good news!

Interesting news because Bangladesh Army is responsible for cleaning until they finish the project in June 2014.

More Baridhara Lakeside Park

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Fun fact: There's a rickshaw puller who has been living in the park for twenty two years and refuses to leave.

Beautifying Hatirjheel
ENGR. S. A. MANSOOR, DHAKA

Most dailies, including yours, have proposed a dismantling of the illegally built BGMEA building. In my opinion, the building need not be dismantled but left there and the owners as a penalty should turn the whole area of Hatirjheel into a green park as per design and specification to be laid out by Rajuk.
It should have all facilities like boundary walls, pathways, benches, playground for children, and other facilities as well as gates at various points and a pond surrounded by a flower garden all around it. They should provide all needed lighting facilities and water supply at various points for spraying water on the trees and plants.
The BGMEA building can be surrounded by tall and dense trees which will work as curtains all around the structure. After completing the garden strictly as per specification, the BGMEA building authorities should be responsible for looking after the trees, and repair and maintain all the facilities for a period of at least 25 years. All the trees will mature by that time.
People will go to the place to relax in the lush green garden, with flowering plants and trees providing shade and beauty in the middle of the metropolis.

Source: Daily Star

Note: I completely disagree because how can we expect BGMEA to take care of a park, when they can't take care of 1000's of factories.

^^ I agree, plus there are two concerns:

1. If the BGMEA building is obstructing water flow in the jheel, then it should go - flood control for the city at larger concern than any one building.

2. While I fully appreciate the contributions of this industry to the advancement of BD, if exceptions are made for one group, other exceptions will follow in future... and the ability of planners to plan for the long term management of the city's waterways will be very much more a matter of doubt.

^^ I agree, plus there are two concerns:

1. If the BGMEA building is obstructing water flow in the jheel, then it should go - flood control for the city at larger concern than any one building.

2. While I fully appreciate the contributions of this industry to the advancement of BD, if exceptions are made for one group, other exceptions will follow in future... and the ability of planners to plan for the long term management of the city's waterways will be very much more a matter of doubt.

By the way, do you know who Mr. Mansoor is? I always see his editorials regularly in the newspapers.

By the way, do you know who Mr. Mansoor is? I always see his editorials regularly in the newspapers.

Sorry, I don't...

Dhanmondi Lake Park (recently renovated)

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Photos by Engr. Ershad Ahmed

Hatirjheel (May 2013)

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Photos by Engr. Ershad Ahmed

Hatirjheel (May 2013)

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Photos by Engr. Ershad Ahmed


It is heart breaking to see children without any sandals/shoes. Sandals are cheap yet so many children are without any.