Famous Bahadur Shah Park is home to vagabonds and street children

  • Mehedi Hassan Mahim, Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
  • |
  • Font increase
  • Font Decrease

Pic: Barta24.com

Pic: Barta24.com

The silent witness of history and the only place of relaxation for the residents of old Dhaka is the traditional Bahadur Shah Park formerly Victoria Park. This park has a glorious and tragic history of 1857 when the Indian soldiers in the British Army revolted against British rule in India. Many Indian origin soldiers were hanged at this place. However many do not know this tragic history. Victoria Park named after Queen Victoria of the British Empire which gradually got the name of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah during whose rule the Sepoy mutiny 1857 took place. 

Amidst thousands of busy lives, people from different walks of life come to this historic park to relax in search of a little relief. In the evolution of time, the tradition of this park still survives, but due to lack of proper maintenance, it has lost its tradition. This traditional park has now become a home for vagabonds, homeless people and drug addicts.

বিজ্ঞাপন

It was seen on visit that 30 to 35 vagrants and street children can be available in Bahadur Shah Park area. The presence of 15 to 20 scattered people can also be observed on the high altar of the park. Most of them are seen intoxicated. People of all walks of life can also be seen resting and exercising throughout the park.

At least a thousand vagrants and street children will be seen in the surrounding area including Bahadur Shah Park of Old Dhaka. One of them is Mukta Akter (11). He has lived in Bahadur Shah Park area for the last four years. Mukta told Barta24.com that after her mother died when she was young, her father took another wife. Then he sent me to Nanu's house. My aunt could not tolerate me, she used to beat me a lot. One day she left me at Sadarghat saying that he would come to Dhaka for a visit. Then I came here to visit. Since then, this park has become my home.

বিজ্ঞাপন

Mukta Begum also said, no matter the sun or rain, this park is my address. 50-60 other people including me sleep together here at night. Days pass without eating or eating. A different kind of burning sensation is felt in the stomach while not eating. Then we eat dandy (a drug with gum) to forget the pain of hunger. People neither give us work nor food. Then we eat these things without looking at the way.

Bahadur Shah Park is the only abode of many more children like Mukta Begum. Most of them are drug addicts. One of them is Rifat. He has lived in Bahadur Shah Park since birth. The exact age is not known, but approximately 7-8 years. Rifat has seen many forms of life at this young age. Rifat told Barta24.com that he spends his days collecting plastic, getting hands on people, eating and drinking whatever he gets. And sleeps in this park at night. My dandy doesn't like to eat. Sometimes I eat leftovers from the dustbin, but I don't eat dandies. Playing it makes me dizzy.

Another 5 to 6 drug addicted vagabonds were seen on Shankhari bazar foot overbridge. Bahadur Shah Park is the only address for all of them. Nayan (14) from there. A few days ago, due to hunger, he ran with a woman's bag. This child frankly admitted that to this reporter of Barta24.com. He was later caught and beaten. When asked why he gets drunk, he said, 'Sometimes I feel very hungry. I don't know what to do. So eat this gum. It feels like playing. Headache all day. I don't feel hungry anymore.'

Although the local residents of old Dhaka expressed their displeasure about this traditional park being developed as a residence for the dispossessed people, they demanded to build a permanent residence for them considering the aspect of humanity.

Haji Mohammad Ishaq, a resident of Old Dhaka's Kaltabazar, told Barta24.com that the traditional park is in poor condition because of them where there is urinating and ruining the environment of the whole park. The park is in poor condition as there is no responsible person to take care of it. This resident talks about the government initiative to create a shelter for these marginalized people.