How a park, a bookstore and the young residents of Dhaka are redefining public space

Adiba Mohsin, a librarian at a school in Dhaka, often visits Bookworm at Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park, located in Dhaka's upscale Gulshan neighbourhood. 

"Back when I was a child, there wasn't a wide variety of children's books available for me to read. Nowadays, the creativity and quality of children's books available has increased immensely, so I love coming to Bookworm to check out their latest collection and buy books for my child," she said.

Adiba then took out a book that she had read in her childhood from a shelf and showed it to me, stating, "Look how boring this is." 

She then moved to another bookshelf and brought out a cute pop-up book and said, "Look what children these days have access to, thanks to Bookworm. This is why I love frequenting the store. It is a great way to get my child to read and learn."

Bookworm, one of the country's most beloved independent bookstores, is now run by Amina Rahman. The bookstore was started by Amina's father-in-law, Group Captain Taher Quddus. 

"My father-in-law was a dynamic man, and even though he flew fighter jets, his true love was books. He used to visit Kolkata and see the bookstores there and wanted to bring something similar to Bangladesh," Amina told TBS.

She began working for her father-in-law's store around 15 years ago, and now runs the store. "Since there was very little footfall in the Bookworm, I used social media to spread more awareness of the shop. We also started doing deliveries, which, coupled with social media, really got our name out there."

After facing difficulties with their original lease, Bookworm found its way into Shahabuddin Park in 2022, which had been recently renovated. 

Since opening at the park, Bookworm has seen more footfall than ever before. At one point, Amina remarked how her gimmick of being a sleepy bookstore owner was threatened because of how busy and lively her store had become.

Bookworm has fast become the crown jewel of Shahabuddin park. Now more than just a bookstore, it acts as a beacon, turning the park into a meeting point for children, women, joggers, artists, expats, and thinkers of all kinds.

But the transformation of Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park into one of Dhaka's most successful and inclusive public spaces did not happen by accident. It is the result of a rare partnership between the Dhaka North City Corporation and a private entity, 5R Securex Consortium, led by its CEO, Junaid Rahman. Together, they have created a blueprint for what Dhaka's public spaces can be when maintained with care and a long-term vision for enhancing community.

Originally renovated by Dhaka North in 2020 as part of a push to revive green spaces in the city, Shahabuddin Park's management was awarded to 5R Securex in 2022. The goal was to keep the space open and safe, while introducing enough meaningful activity to keep people engaged across different age groups, interests, and income levels.

Under Junaid Rahman's leadership, the park has flourished. Rahman brought more than just operational expertise — he brought heart. 

"Our job is to offer a safe, stimulating environment and a well-functioning park to the residents of Dhaka," he said. That's exactly what's taking shape: from a redesigned pond walkway and kid's zone to a basketball court and open amphitheatre, every corner of the park encourages people to move, relax, read, and connect.

Importantly, the team has been careful to avoid over-commercialisation. Junaid was adamant that he needed to protect the soul of the park, and not sacrifice it for profit. Instead of cluttering the park with billboards and retail stalls, they have focused on intentional choices: North End Coffee Roasters for a high-quality cafe, and GramCha for those who want something simpler. North End, in particular, is a great fit for the park, opening early and keeping people coming for multiple visits.

"I strongly believe that for our vision of creating a third space in Dhaka where women and children could feel safe, and people of all walks would feel comfortable, we needed to engage with the interests of different stakeholders. But above all, we needed to make the park accessible to everyone," Junaid shared.

Bookworm is a shining example of the park's philosophy in action, as it has become a hub of culture. From hosting small music shows called Dhaka Sessions, inspired by TinyDesk, to hosting talks on important topics like Palestine, Bookworm brings like-minded, community-orientated people together.

While chatting with Amina and Junaid at North End, we ran into author Navine Murshid, who had picked up her child from school and came to the park to relax. Navine explained how the park had changed her morning routine for the better, "This isn't just a park. It's a place to breathe, to walk, read, drink and play."

Perhaps most strikingly, Navine mentioned that the park has shifted how public discourse takes place in Dhaka. "This park, the way it has been designed, the shops that have been curated, all of it come together to bring certain people together." 

Navine said, "Intellectual conversations are no longer confined to academic settings, or in private spaces. Conversations here are casual, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating. You also don't have to be highly educated to participate due to the ease of access."

And it's not just locals who notice. Foreign visitors — authors, dignitaries, tourists — regularly express admiration. Anja Kristov (not her real name) shared how she has seen the park evolve over time, "This is what every city needs. Dhaka lacks spaces like this — places where people can gather, without pressure, without judgment. I wish to see more parks like this in Dhaka"

However, with the success and popularity of the park, challenges have risen. As the park grows in popularity, concerns about crowding and increased traffic have been raised — especially by some members of the surrounding elite community. 

Additionally people with vested interests are vying for control of the park so that they can shape it in their image; an image that knows only profit. 

"In every real sense, the project is a victim of its own success," Junaid stated. "It's about community for us, not profit. I will protect the stewardship of the park; I do not have the heart to compromise the integrity of the park." 

And this commitment has come with a fair few nerve wracking situations. Under intense duress from then incumbent authorities, Junaid and the management company defied the previous regime to allow and support a protest held by development professionals (at the amphitheatre of the park) a mere a few days before 5 August. It was an action that resulted in an official travel advisory warning from the US Embassy. A jarring experience, but even at that critical moment the team was undeterred in its stance to support a just cause and  facilitate the public's need to use a free space to raise its voice. 

"From this unique experience, our vision for the park embodies the spirit of the youth in this country and that of the July Uprising. Look at the largest group of visitors at Shahabuddin Park and you'll see that it is the young. The young residents of Dhaka who are driving the change have different expectations from the country and the city that they live in. Are they willing to accept the old rules that exclude them from decision-making? They are yearning for responsibility and positive contribution towards shaping a new Bangladesh," said Junaid. 

For Junaid and Amina, their biggest takeaway is that residents of Dhaka are signalling that they will not accept any restrictions in accessing free public spaces. 

"Public access to this space is the lifeblood of this park. We want to do good for our community, and Dhaka really needs spaces like this to thrive, if we want to spark progressive change," Amina said. 

"When a group of people get together and share common values, something magical happens. Something magical is happening in this park, and we need to protect it," she added.