The Lt Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Ltd in a rejoinder to a report headlined "Businessmen to grab sports" carried in The Daily Star on September 30 said the club has no intention to use Dhanmondi playground commercially.
The club has a social and moral responsibility to preserve and maintain the playground in the greater interest of the country, reads the rejoinder signed by club President Manzur Kader.
The club did not ask for any playground and did not present any development plan, it says, adding, "We shall develop our own clubhouse with full facilities on our earmarked premises.
"Our mission and vision is to improve and develop infrastructure of the club with modern facilities for sportsmen, club members and residents."
The club's vision is to cater sports and recreational facilities, develop infrastructure and provide local youngsters with sports training. The main mission is to prevent misuses of the playground, the rejoinder says.
Dhanmondi Club was renamed Lt Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Ltd with a new executive body at a general meeting on August 20 this year, it says.
OUR REPLY
As per the rejoinder, "Lt Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Ltd" is just the new name of the Dhanmondi Club, which has been illegally occupying the said playground with its office structure for long.
The rejoinder itself agrees that The Daily Star report has "rightfully" mentioned that the playground has been under the control of Dhanmondi Club since 1962.
It says, "Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Ltd authority desires to keep it for football and cricket."
But a limited company has no legal or moral right to develop exclusive infrastructure and recreational facilities on an open playground that belongs to the public.
While the Public Works Department is the owner of the playground, Dhaka City Corporation is its custodian.
Club President Manzur Kader himself had told The Daily Star that the club would be formed in the pattern of Dhaka Club Ltd, Gulshan Club Ltd and Uttara Club Ltd.
Leading businessmen including Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan Shah Alam, Nitol Group Chairman Abdul Matlub Ahmed, and Rupayan Group Chairman LA Mukul are in the governing body of the club company.
We stand by our report.
Manzur Kader was inadvertently mentioned as only Kader in our report. We regret the mistake.