Dhanmondi playground reopens to public

AFTER two years of tug of war between the environmentalists and the vested quarters exploiting the name of Sheikh Jamal, a member of Bangabandhu's family, to exclusively run a club on Dhanmondi playground, the public space has returned to the public. We share public jubilation over their regaining access to a space that rightfully belongs to them.
We commend the authority, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), for its judicious step, especially the good sense in not siding with the so-called powerful group which held its illegal sway over the playground for so long.
This marks a triumph of public interest over an entrenched group interest. The latter threw their weight around having named Dhanmondi Club after a member of Sheikh family and felt invincible to do with the playground as they pleased. The open space was walled up and constructions raised at public expense with an audacious claim to rendering the place an 'elitist' character in a flagrant denial of public access to the breathing space.
In the process, a High Court order of 2011 requiring the club authorities to clear out of the playground including the structures set up had been defied by a handful of persons. The public access to the playground redeems one part of the court's ruling; now the constructions have to be removed to comply with the remainder of the court order.
Such dragging of the name of Bangabandhu's family for an exploitative purpose should be sternly discouraged by the government. In particular, we draw the attention of the PMO to deter any such practice in future.