Nakibul Ahsan Nishad, JnU
The mighty Dhupkhola field! A bird’s eye view will literally depict a plank of free space amid the clingy concrete blocks of older part of Dhaka city.This also happens to be the only playground where the students of Jagannath University are able to play. The university is entitled to use one-third portion of field located in old Dhaka. To the horror of the students and the university authority, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has surprisingly started digging there in late night, aiming to build a market. The university authorities say earthwork has been started in the field without informing the mayor of the city corporation.
The DSCC’s contractor did this work late Sunday night. Students of the university expressed their anger after learning about the incident in the morning. Leaders of student unions and university branch of Chhatra League also protested. They have blamed the ‘incompetence’ of the university administration for such step by DSCC. On the other hand, the university administration is talking about adopting legal process to halt the work.
Gautam Kumar, assistant director of the university’s physical education centre, said on Monday, the university authorities had sent a letter to DSCC on June 17 fearing the construction of a market on the Jagannath University playground. Later, when he met the city mayor, he was assured not to build any facility in the university playground.
At that time the poles were removed from the playground. But late at night the entire field was again surrounded. They have removed the goalposts and boundary walls of the field.
Gautam Kumar said, “DSCC wants to build a field in Dhupkhola instead of three. It will not have the control of the university in any way. We will lose our individuality. Our sport activities will be interrupted. We were supposed to start training for different tournaments in this very field. We told them not to work on our part until we were moving to our new campus.”
According to university sources, in 1984, the then President verbally allowed the then government to allow Jagannath College to use one-third of the open playground as there was no playground for the students. Since then, the university has been using the open field as a playground. The first convocation of the university was held in this field.
It can be seen on the ground that the field is basically divided into three parts. Soil has been brought in from outside in part of the city corporation. Construction work is underway. Club field development work is going on. And excavation has started in the field.
However, no one involved in the construction of the installation wanted to speak to the media. Later, when the project director Abul Hashem was contacted on his mobile phone, he said he was busy and left the call.
Kamaluddin Ahmed, acting vice-chancellor of the university, said, “We tried our best. DSCC did not take it seriously as the university did not have any documents without the verbal permission of the president. The decision will now be made in consultation with the university’s vice-chancellor and legal advisers on whether to proceed with the legal process.
