Kalabagan playground: Police detain activist, her son, release them later

Kalabagan police yesterday detained Syeda Ratna, one of the leading activists of the "Save Tetultala Playground" movement and her 17-year-old son for allegedly obstructing government work, but released them upon undertaking.

Poritosh Chandra, officer-in-charge of Kalabagan police station, told The Business Standard that Ratna and her son were released upon undertaking that they will not obstruct any government work in the future.

Ratna's sister took their custody after a detention of more than 10 hours.

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

Sharif Mohammad Farukuzzaman, New Market Zone assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) confirmed that they were accused in a case being filed around 9:30pm.

Earlier, 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.

Kalabagan police say both arrestees would be produced in court on Monday.

When contacted, DMP Ramna zone Deputy Commissioner Sajjadur Rahman said he was unable to talk on the issue as he was outside the office and suggested talking to the OC.

Seeking anonymity, an official at the Kalabagan police station told TBS that Syeda Ratna and her son were arrested in the morning and brought to the station as "they created obstacles in the construction process of the thana complex in the Kalabagan playground".

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.

But the police demarcated the space with barbed-wire fencing on 31 January this year. Some members of the Kalabagan Thana police 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 with the demand of local people.

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.