Baishtila will now be a children's park cum zoo

It will be set up and run commercially by a private company under contract, official sources said.

Sylhet Zila Parishad owns the huge area. The site covering 43.39 acres of land was acquired decades ago for establishing a natural park. About 10,000 trees of different species are there.

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Last week, the authorities floated tender for establishing the proposed children's park cum zoo. Proposals have been sought from private firms to set up and run the park and zoo for a period of ten years.

The successful bidder will have pay revenue on yearly basis in compliance with terms and condition of the contract.

It will construct all necessary infrastructures keeping the bio-diversity and environment as it is. It will collect all animals for the zoo.

The project may involve about Tk three crore, said an expert.

Earlier, the Zila Parishad had leased the site to a private firm in 1999 for ten years through tender for establishing a 'natural park'.

The firm had made an initial payment of Tk 2.5 lakh in December 1999 as revenue for the first year (2000). A total Tk 36 lakh was to be paid to the Zila Parishad in three years.

But after the initial payment, the party neither made any more payment nor did any work on the project. The agreement provided for completion of the project in three years.

Now, the defaulter firm will have to pay Tk six lakh or face legal action, said an official.