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Published : 03 Apr 2025, 01:58 AM
A park designed to lift spirits and wash away the stress of urban life -- where anger fades the moment you walk in -- is finally set to open after more than seven years of delays in Dhaka.
Tucked between the capital's bustling Gulistan area, the Secretariat’s main gate, and the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) headquarters, Osmani Udyan is being transformed into what was once dubbed the “Goswa Nibaroni Park”, or anger management park.
When the project launched in early 2018, then-mayor Sayeed Khokon said the goal was to create a space where people frustrated by work or home life could find peace and return to their day feeling refreshed and recharged.
To create such a calming atmosphere, the park will include a scenic lake, tea and coffee kiosks, sandwich stalls, and large screens for watching sports. Music -- both classics and newer tunes -- will play by the water to help soothe visitors.
Later that year, newly elected mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh acknowledged the slow progress and said he had visited the site twice to accelerate the work.
Now, according to DSCC officials, 93 percent of the project is complete, with a public opening expected in the first week of May.
The revamped park will feature a "Swadhinata Chattar", or Freedom Plaza, seating areas, an open-air gym, a children’s zone, LED TVs, a WiFi area, street lighting, and walking paths.
It will also offer sports facilities, including table tennis, billiards, and cricket net practice zones. Other amenities include a food court, an urban museum, a library, parking, ATMs, and a pharmacy -- all under CCTV surveillance.
On Wednesday, the park remained closed to the public, with iron fences and tin sheets still in place. Inside, workers were seen making final adjustments -- filling in concrete on walkways and completing installations.
Redevelopment work on the lakefront, piers, and open fields is finished, as are the game zones for cricket, badminton, volleyball, and other activities. An electricity substation is still under construction.
Abdul Awal, a retired government official and longtime resident of Hosaini Dalan Road, said: “I used to walk here every morning. Since it closed seven or eight years ago, I’ve had to go to Ramna Park. This used to be an open space where kids played and ran around in the evenings.”
“I’ve repeatedly asked the authorities to reopen it. They kept saying the work was ongoing. A few days ago, I heard it might finally open -- I’m hoping I’ll be able to return for my regular walks again.”
Project Director Khairul Baker said the delays were due to changes in mayors, contractors, and other logistical issues.
“With most of the work done, we hope to finish in the next six to eight weeks. Our goal is to open by the first week of May,” he said.
Originally budgeted at Tk 580 million, the project’s cost has swelled over time, first to Tk 900 million, and then to Tk 1.08 billion.
DSCC Administrator Md Shahjahan Mia said, “I joined last month and immediately looked into the Osmani Udyan project. I’ve been informed that 93 percent of the work is complete.”
“I’ve instructed the team to finish the remaining tasks quickly so we can open the park to the public by early May.”
[Writing in English by Turaj Ahmad]
