Despite repeated directions from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and movements of the civil society organisations, the DCC has not yet developed the park now turned into a dumping ground.

Asked why the DCC has not yet developed the park, its Chief Executive Officer Saifuddin Ahmed said, "We will do it soon." About the latest status of its development plan, he said, "I don't know, the zonal executive officer knows."

But Executive Officer of DCC zone-9 (Gulshan) Md Mahmudul Haque said he does not know anything about the development plan.

The DCC took over the land from the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) in1982 to develop and maintain it as a park. But the 6.33-acre land earmarked for a park in front of Gulshan Shooting Complex in the original Dhaka Master Plan, had been occupied by a settlement of 416 sweepers' families of DCC for more than two decades.

DIT marked the space as a park in the layout of Gulshan Model Town in the Master Plan prepared in 1962, said General Secretary of Gulshan Society Md Anwarul Alam, also a former chairman of Rajuk.

Rajuk handed over 3.99 acres of parkland to the DCC, but the latter has occupied 6.33 acres of land earth filling a portion of adjoining Gulshan Lake, said Rajuk Chief Engineer Emdadul Islam.

The park was freed from illegal occupancy a year ago.

Following eviction of the illegal settlement of the sweepers' colony, the DCC obstinately built a six-foot high solid wall around the parkland although its CEO Md Saifuddin Ahmed had earlier told The Daily Star that they would build a three feet see-through wall."

Environmentalists from the very beginning protested the construction of solid wall that does not go with the concept of a green park.

Boundary wall of a park must be see-through as a basic characteristic, said Prof Nazrul Islam of Center for Urban Studies.

The executive officer of DCC zone-9 had earlier said that the high wall is meant to prevent anti-social elements from entering the park. But they failed to prevent anti-social elements from entering the part. At present even cattle freely graze in the ground.

Recently, two influential real estate developers have held meetings with the Gulshan Society with proposed plans of development at the site, according to sources in the Society.

One of the companies has proposed that it intends to make use of the parkland by constructing a community centre with an underground parking lot for the DCC, a high-rise apartment building at one corner and a playground in the remaining space.

The developer intends to convince the DCC with the community centre so that DCC can appease the locals with the service.

The DCC has so far built a walkway in a weird manner and a number of benches without even levelling the ground. Besides, there is a slaughterhouse and a so-called shrine in the parkland.

"The walkway and benches are just eyewash to stop public suspicion about DCC's actual motive," said a Gulshan resident, who makes futile attempts to have stroll in the park.

Asked about the proposed development plan by a developer, Gulshan Society leader Anwarul Alam said, "It is not to my knowledge."

He said Gulshan Society has filed a writ petition to the High Court to protect the parkland but the local MP has asked the society to withdraw the petition. The executive committee of the society however refused to do that.

Though the DCC authorities claim they are trying to develop a park there, it now looks like a dumping ground with a huge pile of animal wastes from the slaughterhouse and other waste.

"We have built boundary wall, walkway and some benches temporarily just to ensure possession of the land," said the CEO of DCC. Asked about the slaughterhouse inside the park, he said, "We cannot remove it unless we find an alternative site."

About the shrine inside the park, he said, "You know how powerful the Pir and their followers are in our country."

The CEO of DCC had earlier told Star City that the parkland is a valuable asset because of its location and that it would be utilised accordingly in consultation with the PMO.

The principal secretary to the prime minister wrote a letter on October 26 last year to the DCC saying that the PM has clearly directed to set up a green park at the site immediately.

In another letter on November 20, Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas informed Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) of the ministry's clear stand to turn the space into a park.

Rajuk, the original owner of the park, has time and again asked the DCC at the PM office meetings to give the park back to it saying it would develop the park with its won resource.

But the DCC authorities have all along been obstinately refusing to return the parkland.