ID :
13219
Mon, 07/21/2008 - 10:11
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/13219
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One hundred years of Ramna Park
DHAKA,Bangladesh, July 21 (BSS) - Ramna Park, the green oasis, the lung of the Dhaka city has survived one hundred years among the concrete jungle.
Though the park is a source of pleasure to the city dwellers with all its natural assets, no one bothered of celebrating the centenary of the park except for two nature lovers, Professor Dwijen Sharma and environmentalist Mokarram Hossain. They areorganizing a programme to celebrate the park centenary.
"One day this city would be turned into a dumping ground if we do not able to establish a close relationship between the city dwellers and the nature, and if we do not make ourselves morehumane," they said.
Historian Professor Muntasir Mamun, in his book 'Dhaka Samagra' said, the development of city landscapes had started at Ramna in 1908 and RL Proud Lock, one of the main planners of'Queue Garden' in London was given the responsibility.
The beautification of Ramna area which was started under the guidance of RL Proud Lock still survives today. According to 'Dhaka Samagra' Akhil Babu of 'Eden Garden' in Kolkata was an assistant of RL Proud Lock in planning the Ramna Parkthat took about 20 years to develop.
In an article of Dwijen Sharma, it is known that the all credits for selecting the tropical plants for the Ramna Park go to RL Proud Lock. He had even maintained a consistency in plantation in the city by overcoming multifarious problems in theplantation plan of the city.
Jobaida Mirza in her book 'Those Colorful Days,' said there were some gardens and jungles around the today's Fisheries Bhaban, Sarak Bhaban, Engineers' Institute, Ramna Park, Tennis Complex, PG Hospital, Hotel Intercontinental (Sheraton Hotel),and those were extended till Hatirpool.
She wrote, at that time, the visitors had to enter the Ramna Park by crossing the plant fence near the residence of the principal of the then Dhaka Intermediate College (presently High Court Complex). At the entrance, there were two steps of stairs at both sides of the fence. There was a narrow path to walkaround the park.
The residence of Prof. Satyan Basu of Dhaka University was on the east end of the Ramna Park and two to four houses were on the north, on the west side of Nilkhet situated poet Mohitlal Majumder's house and the Dhaka University (presently the medicalcollege) was on the south.
Within the parameter of the Ramna complex, there was Ramna House (presently the Foreign Ministry), Salimullah Muslim Hall, Chameli House (presently CIRDAP), Lat Bhaban (old High Court building), the then Dhaka College, Curzon Hall (which was built as the Town Hall). These houses were nice and covered withflowers.
The present lake inside the Ramna Park were crisscrossed a long way up to the present day High Court premises and even a part of the lake was well inside the race course (present Suhrawardi Uddyan). 'Perhaps, the lake is a part of the waterwaycreated during the Mughal era,' Jobaida Mirza wrote in her book.
Though the park is a source of pleasure to the city dwellers with all its natural assets, no one bothered of celebrating the centenary of the park except for two nature lovers, Professor Dwijen Sharma and environmentalist Mokarram Hossain. They areorganizing a programme to celebrate the park centenary.
"One day this city would be turned into a dumping ground if we do not able to establish a close relationship between the city dwellers and the nature, and if we do not make ourselves morehumane," they said.
Historian Professor Muntasir Mamun, in his book 'Dhaka Samagra' said, the development of city landscapes had started at Ramna in 1908 and RL Proud Lock, one of the main planners of'Queue Garden' in London was given the responsibility.
The beautification of Ramna area which was started under the guidance of RL Proud Lock still survives today. According to 'Dhaka Samagra' Akhil Babu of 'Eden Garden' in Kolkata was an assistant of RL Proud Lock in planning the Ramna Parkthat took about 20 years to develop.
In an article of Dwijen Sharma, it is known that the all credits for selecting the tropical plants for the Ramna Park go to RL Proud Lock. He had even maintained a consistency in plantation in the city by overcoming multifarious problems in theplantation plan of the city.
Jobaida Mirza in her book 'Those Colorful Days,' said there were some gardens and jungles around the today's Fisheries Bhaban, Sarak Bhaban, Engineers' Institute, Ramna Park, Tennis Complex, PG Hospital, Hotel Intercontinental (Sheraton Hotel),and those were extended till Hatirpool.
She wrote, at that time, the visitors had to enter the Ramna Park by crossing the plant fence near the residence of the principal of the then Dhaka Intermediate College (presently High Court Complex). At the entrance, there were two steps of stairs at both sides of the fence. There was a narrow path to walkaround the park.
The residence of Prof. Satyan Basu of Dhaka University was on the east end of the Ramna Park and two to four houses were on the north, on the west side of Nilkhet situated poet Mohitlal Majumder's house and the Dhaka University (presently the medicalcollege) was on the south.
Within the parameter of the Ramna complex, there was Ramna House (presently the Foreign Ministry), Salimullah Muslim Hall, Chameli House (presently CIRDAP), Lat Bhaban (old High Court building), the then Dhaka College, Curzon Hall (which was built as the Town Hall). These houses were nice and covered withflowers.
The present lake inside the Ramna Park were crisscrossed a long way up to the present day High Court premises and even a part of the lake was well inside the race course (present Suhrawardi Uddyan). 'Perhaps, the lake is a part of the waterwaycreated during the Mughal era,' Jobaida Mirza wrote in her book.
