DNCC brakes on ‘urs’ in Farmgate park Anisur Rahman Khan

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) yesterday demolished a pandal set up illegally inside Anwara Park (popularly known as Farmgate Park) for a religious programme next month. DNCC officials said Kutubbagh Darbar Sharif (KDS) had been organising a month-long Urs Sharif by illegally occupying the park located on Indira Road in Dhaka every year, causing immense suffering to residents of the area. Many people, including dignitaries, have also attended the Urs Sharif to seek the blessings of Alhaj Hazrat Moulana Zakir Shah Kutubbagi, a 55-year-old self-declared pir (religious leader).

The officials said grass and several species of flowers in Anwara Park were destroyed due to the setting up of the pandal for the next Urs Sharif by KDS to begin from January 25 next year. “A DNCC board meeting has decided not to allow any programme inside the park. We never gave any permission to KDS for holding the Urs Sharif there. They set up gates and pandal illegally,” SM Azior Rahman, regional executive officer of DNCC, told The Independent yesterday.

Rahman admitted that that there was pressure from higher authorities regarding KDS. “The DNCC works for the people’s interest. So, we felt the needed to protect the park and its environment for city dwellers and environment concern.” The official said that DNCC has taken up a project to beautify the park, including the planting of trees. Besides, the park will be used for metro rail purposes too, he added. The Public Works Department (PWD), which looks after Ramna, Suhrawardy, Chandrima and Anwara parks in the capital, echoed the DNCC’s plaint. “The KDS has been observing its Urs for years illegally without taking any permission from the PWD,” AKM Suhrawardy, executive engineer of Dhaka PWD Zone, said. “It is a highly sensitive place as it is located near Parliament. Who will take the responsibility if some untoward incident occurs during Urs? Considering the consequences, the PWD never allowed KDS to hold any programme inside the park,” he added. The PWD is ready to help to the DNCC to stop such programmes inside Anwara Park, he said, adding, “Such activities in the name of Urs are not acceptable. We will ask our PWD section in the Parliament area to file a general diary against KDS.” Several calls by The Independent to the KDS office for comments went unanswered. According to sources, Alhaj Hazrat Moulana Zakir Shah has built three darbar sharifs—one in Trishal in Mymensingh district on a 40-bigha land, second in Narayanganj on a 12-bigha land, and a 10-storey building in Farmgate area.

Countries such as India, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore do not allow any rallies inside parks. But it is a very common phenomenon in Bangladesh to hold rallies inside parks, both legally or illegally.

DNCC brakes on urs in Farmgate park Anisur Rahman Khan

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) yesterday demolished a pandal set up illegally inside Anwara Park (popularly known as Farmgate Park) for a religious programme next month. DNCC officials said Kutubbagh Darbar Sharif (KDS) had been organising a month-long Urs Sharif by illegally occupying the park located on Indira Road in Dhaka every year, causing immense suffering to residents of the area. Many people, including dignitaries, have also attended the Urs Sharif to seek the blessings of Alhaj Hazrat Moulana Zakir Shah Kutubbagi, a 55-year-old self-declared pir (religious leader). The officials said grass and several species of flowers in Anwara Park were destroyed due to the setting up of the pandal for the next Urs Sharif by KDS to begin from January 25 next year. A DNCC board meeting has decided not to allow any programme inside the park. We never gave any permission to KDS for holding the Urs Sharif there. They set up gates and pandal illegally, SM Azior Rahman, regional executive officer of DNCC, told The Independent yesterday. Rahman admitted that that there was pressure from higher authorities regarding KDS. The DNCC works for the peoples interest. So, we felt the needed to protect the park and its environment for city dwellers and environment concern. The official said that DNCC has taken up a project to beautify the park, including the planting of trees. Besides, the park will be used for metro rail purposes too, he added. The Public Works Department (PWD), which looks after Ramna, Suhrawardy, Chandrima and Anwara parks in the capital, echoed the DNCCs plaint. The KDS has been observing its Urs for years illegally without taking any permission from the PWD, AKM Suhrawardy, executive engineer of Dhaka PWD Zone, said. It is a highly sensitive place as it is located near Parliament. Who will take the responsibility if some untoward incident occurs during Urs? Considering the consequences, the PWD never allowed KDS to hold any programme inside the park, he added. The PWD is ready to help to the DNCC to stop such programmes inside Anwara Park, he said, adding, Such activities in the name of Urs are not acceptable. We will ask our PWD section in the Parliament area to file a general diary against KDS. Several calls by The Independent to the KDS office for comments went unanswered. According to sources, Alhaj Hazrat Moulana Zakir Shah has built three darbar sharifsone in Trishal in Mymensingh district on a 40-bigha land, second in Narayanganj on a 12-bigha land, and a 10-storey building in Farmgate area. Countries such as India, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore do not allow any rallies inside parks. But it is a very common phenomenon in Bangladesh to hold rallies inside parks, both legally or illegally.