About 1,000 trees are to be planted at Suhrawardy Udyan as part of implementing a master plan to preserve the memory of the Liberation War there. Md Habibul Islam, director of the project to build the Independence Monument (third phase) at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital and a joint secretary to the government, said this on Saturday (8 May).

He said: "To present the true history of the great Liberation War, including the movements and events of different periods in the achievement of Bangladesh's independence, to future generations and the world, the Shikha Chirantan, the Independence Monument and an underground Liberation War museum have already been built at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan under the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs."

He said the master plan titled "Construction of the Independence Monument at Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka (third phase)" is being implemented to preserve the correct history of the Liberation War, develop the park to international standards in a green setting suited to a modern city, and attract local and foreign tourists.

"At present, Suhrawardy Udyan is not a place to stroll with family members. There is no safe way to enter from one side and leave from the other. Vagrants and all kinds of ill-intentioned people frequent it. We want to develop the whole park to an international standard through a master plan," he said. Construction under way includes sculptures depicting the 23-year struggle against Pakistani rule and the nine-month Liberation War, a sculpture of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the site of his historic 7 March speech, a sculpture at the site where the Pakistani occupation forces surrendered, an Indira Mancha, water bodies and fountains, underground parking for 500 cars and a children's park.

Habibul Islam said fragmented information published in various media about the felling of some trees in the park for these works was creating confusion. About 1,000 trees will be planted in the coming monsoon, he said, with the planting arranged so that some tree in the park is in flower throughout the year and visitors feel they have come to a place for an outing.

He said the history of the Liberation War and the independence struggle would be preserved and the historic park developed into an international-standard memorial centre so that generation after generation can learn the true history of the glorious Liberation War. A quarter is spreading various kinds of confusion to obstruct and question the master plan, he said.

Noting that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman created the park by planting the first tree at the Race Course Maidan, he said Ziaur Rahman, having illegally become president, built a children's park over 15 acres of the park in 1979 to erase the memory of the site of the historic 7 March speech and of the Pakistani occupation forces' surrender. "Why did environmentalists not raise questions then?" he asked.

"One thing is being said repeatedly, that food shops are being built here. No bread or rice shops are being built. A person visiting the park may get tired looking at the various structures, may feel thirsty or need a toilet. So that they can sit and rest somewhere, seven 'food kiosks' will be built across the park, offering water and light snacks. Behind them there will be separate toilet facilities for women and men," he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.