The much-hyped playground for people with disabilities is getting ready beside the National Parliament Bhaban in Dhaka after long 13 years.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced an open playground for people with disabilities in 2011.
Later, the prime minister asked the National Foundation for Development of the Disabled Persons (NFDDP) to use temporarily the open space on the southwest side of the National Parliament to institutionalise sports for people with disabilities.
On 18 December 2016, 4.16 acres of land were allocated to the NFDDP under the Ministry of Social Welfare for a playground for people with disabilities to do regular practice.
But no development work was done on the land allocated for a playground for people with disabilities. Only a signboard was seen on Mirpur Road for a long time. It reads, “Playground for persons with disabilities.”
Finally, the construction work of the playground for athletes with disabilities started in January 2023.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports initiated a project titled
“Construction of Pavilion Building for Athletes with Disabilities and Development of Playground.”
According to the project details it will have a two-storey pavilion building and a playground. The pavilion will have a dressing room on the ground floor, a VIP box on the first floor, and toilet facilities. All the facilities, such as ramps, toilet blocks, and other facilities, are suitable for persons with disabilities.
Besides, there will be some rides for children with disabilities.
Sukumar Saha, assistant director of planning and development of the National Sports Council, told The Bangladesh Post, “80 per cent of the project work has been completed so far.”
“Construction of the pavilion building, partition wall, and toilet has almost been finished. The playground and drainage system are also done. Seventy per cent of the fencing work is complete. The work of lighting, painting, and the main gate is pending. We will finish it by June 2024,” he added.
The number of playgrounds in Dhaka is inadequate compared to the city’s population. Despite having a few playgrounds for the common people, there is none for people with disabilities.
At present, about 15 per cent of the country’s population are disabled. For them, there is no opportunity for recreation and exercise in the city.
It may be recalled that another sports facility, an international-standard stadium for people with disabilities, was proposed in 2019. ‘National Sports Complex for People with Disabilities’ was planned on 12.01 acres of land. It is located at South Ramchandrapur in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka city.
The cost of the project was estimated to be around Tk 450 crore. But the JPUF project has not seen the light yet as only a signboard is hanging there which reads, “Reserved place for Sports Complex for People with Disabilities, pledged by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.”