Dhaka's Shahbag Shishu Park Closure Sparks Seven-Year Delay Outrage

The iconic children's amusement venue in Shahbag, Dhaka, officially known as Shahid Zia Shishu Park, has remained completely closed to the public for more than seven years. What was once a vibrant destination for families has turned into a prolonged disappointment, sparking widespread frustration among parents and urban planners alike across Bangladesh.

Historically, the park served as an affordable recreational hub where guardians from various neighborhoods brought their children. Visitors could enjoy a package of six different rides for a nominal fee of just 10 taka, keeping the grounds lively and bustling on weekends and holidays. Today, however, the extended closure due to stalled renovation efforts is widely viewed as a clear consequence of administrative negligence by the relevant authorities.

Voicing deep concern over the protracted suspension, urban planner Professor Dr. Md. Mosleh Uddin Hasan stated that the government has effectively stripped a generation of children of their childhood joy. He asserted that the administration must issue an official apology and simultaneously guarantee that the ongoing construction work is expedited to completion without further stalling.

Echoing these sentiments, frustrated local visitor Jahangir Alam noted that public holidays still witness numerous parents arriving at the locked gates with their little ones, only to return home disheartened. Many of these disappointed visitors openly criticize the government and the city corporation upon leaving the premises due to the unending delays in finishing the project.

Administrative oversight for the modernization initiative falls under the Dhaka South City Corporation, known as DSCC. Recently, DSCC Administrator Abdus Salam addressed the situation by stating that he personally reviewed the ongoing renovation progress after assuming his role and firmly instructed all relevant personnel to finish the work swiftly, expressing optimism that the project will finally meet its scheduled deadline.

Official records indicate that the executive committee of the National Economic Council, widely referred to as ECNEC, formally approved the comprehensive Shishu Park modernization initiative during a meeting held in August 2023. Current projections now point toward a potential reopening of the facility by June 2027, provided that the current implementation phase proceeds without any additional setbacks.