Sylhet Natural Park only on signboard for 59 years
Some 63.92 acres of land was acquired in 1962 for the construction
The construction of Sylhet Natural Park in Boroshala area of Sadar upazila has not started even after 59 years of the land acquisition.
During this time, the authorities have only been able to construct a boundary wall on the land and put up a signboard with the name of the park.
According to people concerned, the work of the natural park had got stuck thanks to land ownership issues.
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However, tenders were floated several times for the construction, but there was no response. Recently, the district council has sent a project proposal to the ministry about the park.
According to district council sources, 63.92 acres of land was acquired in 1962 for the construction of a natural park. Later, 19.65 acres of land was acquired for the runway of Osmani International Airport and another three acres for a road from the acquired stretch meant for the park. At present, there is 42.47 acres of land left for the park.
This land was abandoned for a long time after the acquisition. In 1993, a man named Mannan Mia claimed ownership of the land and filed a case when the authorities took the initiative to construct the park. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff in 2000.
However, the district council appealed against the verdict to the High Court the following year. After the hearing of the appeal, the court gave order in favour of the district council.
After the verdict, the district council built a boundary wall on the land. A signboard was also put up saying "designated place for Sylhet Natural Park".
The whole area of the park has been laid out like fallow land. There are also hillocks inside the area. Some illegal makeshift installations have also been set up there.
Delwar Hossain Zoardar, chief assistant of Sylhet District Council, said, "After getting the ownership of the land in the court verdict, we called for tenders for the construction of the natural park. A person named Mizanur Rahman got the work. But he did nothing except some land development works. As a result, his tender was canceled at one stage."
Later, tenders were called a few more times but there was no response, he added.
Debjit Singh, chief executive officer of Sylhet District Council, said, "A development project proposal has recently been sent to the ministry. It has been proposed for development and renovation works in the park including tree plantation. The work will begin once it is approved."
Faruk Mahmud Chowdhury, president of Citizens for Good Governance (Shujan), Sylhet, told The Business Standard, "The natural park was planned when the city had not become a pile of bricks and wood. The city was not overcrowded back then. And in today's reality a park like this is essential for the wellbeing of people."
"We do not understand why it has not been constructed yet. There has certainly been a lack of goodwill from the authorities. It is frustrating not to have the park despite having the land," he added.
