Located in the Bara Banagram area of Naodapara, Shaheed Zia Shishu Park was once a very bustling major center of entertainment for city dwellers.
With various rides for children, toys, and artificial animals and birds, the park used to turn into a gathering place for visitors on holidays.
However, due to long-term neglect, lack of renovation, and most rides becoming unusable, that picture has now changed considerably.
According to locals, there has been no significant development or major renovation of the park for almost 15 years. As a result, this once vibrant entertainment center has now largely lost its glamour.
Even on holidays, the crowd of visitors is not seen like before. In various parts of the park, broken rides, dilapidated structures, and mismanagement are visible.
It is learned that in 2006, Shaheed Zia Shishu Park was built in the Bara Banagram area of Naodapara in Rajshahi city on 4.94 hectares of land at a cost of about 11 crore taka. It was one of the largest entertainment centers in Rajshahi city.
At the time of construction, the park had 19 rides and 70 play-games. Besides entertaining children, the park had also become a place for people of various ages to spend their leisure time.
Although there were no live animals or birds in the park, various animal and bird figures made of brick and cement attracted children.
Due to various types of rides and toys, visitors used to come to the park every day at that time.
Especially on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays, city dwellers used to crowd there with their families.
But with time, various rides and infrastructures of the park started to get damaged.
According to the concerned people, most of the rides are currently out of order. Due to lack of regular renovation and modernization, the attraction of the park has also decreased.
The lessees of the park complain that the park has been deprived of development for a long time due to political reasons.
They claim that as the name of former President Ziaur Rahman is associated with the name of the park, no initiative for development and renovation has been taken for a long time.
One lessee of the park said, “Just because of the name of Zia, this park has not seen any touch of development. For the last 15 years, this main entertainment center of the city has remained neglected. Due to political reasons, the main entertainment center is now almost dead. If the park is not renovated immediately, even the few visitors who currently come will not come in the future.”
He further said, “Entertainment centers were destroyed due to political wrath. In a big city, such a park is needed for the entertainment of children and family members. The rides need to be quickly renovated and modern facilities need to be added.”
Local resident Abdullah, 40, said, “This Park was very popular before. There used to be huge crowds. Now that everything is damaged, there is no such crowd anymore. No work has been done here because it is named after BNP’s Zia.”
Visitor Laboni Akter, 25, who came to visit the park, said, “I still come to visit the park when I get time on holidays. But most of the rides are broken. If these are not fixed quickly, I may not come again.”
According to local visitors, there are not many places to visit with family in Rajshahi.
For this reason, if Shaheed Zia Shishu Park is renovated, it can once again become one of the main entertainment centers for the city dwellers.
They think that if modern rides suitable for children, safe play facilities, seating areas, a clean environment, and adequate lighting are arranged, people’s interest in the park will increase.
