Anwar Park in Farmgate is located in one of the busiest intersections in Dhaka. Even a few years ago, the park had a natural view, allowing dwellers to take a break from their busy life. Many would go there for jogging and exercising in the morning, while kids used to play there in the evening. Now, however, the park serves as a safe haven for drug peddlers and sex workers, a garbage dump for local traders and even a human hauler stand. The fences around the park are broken, with many trees uprooted. Many passersby do not hesitate to urinate near the park.

In a nutshell, the park is unfit for public use. In spite of regular public complaints and several media reports, neither the Dhaka North City Corporation, which has jurisdiction over the area, nor the Public Works Department (PWD) has taken any measures to recover the park. As a resident of the area, I would like to request the authorities concerned to take steps to renovate the park and make it useable by the public as soon as possible. At a time when the city's recreational and public areas are shrinking, we should at least recover the existing ones.

Ratan Kumar Karmakar, By e-mail