Find another place for building Kalabagan police station: Home minister

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal today instructed Dhaka South City Corporation to find another location for the construction of Kalabagan police station.

"I told the mayor, I told everyone to find an alternative. If that is not possible, it is also necessary to build a police station for law enforcement. We will discuss later and decide what can be done," said the minister while distributing Eid gifts in the capital's Tejgaon on Monday.

Blaming urbanisation for the space crisis, the home minister said, "The situation is different now when we used to play in our time and we feel sorry for our next generation.

"When it comes to Kalabagan, the home minister said, law enforcement is of great importance. If we fail to maintain law and order, everything will fall apart."

He said Kalabagan Thana Bhaban is a long standing effort as the police station is being run in a rented building.

Asaduzzaman Khan noted that Deputy Commissioners identified the place as "Khas" land and allotted it to Kalabagan police station.

"When all the processes were complete before starting the construction, the city mayor asked to move the station to another place demanding the site be left for the playground."

He said it is normal that kids will play on the playground.

"We have to arrange playgrounds for children and that's why I have asked all concerned to find an alternative. But the law enforcment is of great importance," he reiterated.

Regarding the arrest of the activist and his son, the minister said, "As far as I know, they came on live video and campaigned for a lot of things that I heard were somewhat inconsistent.

The Home Minister said, "When the law enforcement agencies could not stop them even after repeated restraints, they were taken to the police station for interrogation and after interrogation they were released."

Asaduzzaman Khan made the comment following the detention of Syeda Ratna - one of the leading activists of the "Save Tetultala Playground" movement - and her 17-year-old son by Kalabagan police yesterday for allegedly obstructing government work.

Later, they were released upon the undertaking that they will not obstruct any government work in the future.

Earlier, Kalabagan police attempted to file a case against the two on the same charges.

The mother and son were brought to the Kalabagan police station around 11:30am. They were kept in separate custody.

People on social media condemned the police for keeping 17-year-old Abdullah in custody meant for adults and naming him in the case.

The Tetultala playground, under ward 17 of Dhaka South City Corporation, has long been used as the playground for children and other social activities like a funeral prayer by the locals.

But the Kalabagan police mounted a signboard in 2020 mentioning the spot was fixed for the police station. The residents immediately protested the action, removed the signboard, and continued using the space as before.

The police then demarcated the space with barbed-wire fencing on 31 January this year. Some members of the Kalabagan police station were also seen guarding the space routinely.    

Earlier in March, DMP officials said the Kalabagan police station complex will be constructed soon and there is no scope to return the land compromising the demand of local people.

‘Detaining Ratna, her son a violation of constitution’

A Dhaka South City Corporation source said Tetultala playground is not on its list of playgrounds. The locals were using it as a playground.

In a notice issued by the Dhaka district administration on 24 August last year, it was mentioned that the playground was proposed to be acquired by the government for the construction of the DMP Kalabagan thana building there. In the notice, the land was mentioned as fallow land.

Later, the residents of Kalabagan, environmentalists, social, cultural and development activists and the children and youths started a movement protesting the notice on 11 September.

Syeda Ratna and residents have long been continuing the movement protesting the construction of the thana building.