A children’s park built at a cost of more than Tk1.13 crore in Pirojpur has remained abandoned for years, with the unfinished site now being used as a grazing ground for cattle and a gathering place for miscreants.
The project, initiated to create a recreational space for residents of Pirojpur town, has seen little progress in the past five years, with construction coming to a halt after only the boundary wall was built.
The district council administration has also raised allegations of irregularities in the project, saying an internal review is underway to determine what went wrong.
The park was planned on 5 acres and 46 decimals of government land at Khumuria area beside the Baleshwar River in Pirojpur Sadar Upazila, taking advantage of the area’s natural beauty, greenery and riverside environment.
Under the 2020-21 fiscal year allocation, Tk1,13,21,924 was spent on constructing the boundary wall, while another Tk10 lakh was reportedly used for filling the land with sand.
However, no further development work has taken place since then.
The site, which was supposed to provide a recreational facility for children and residents, now lies neglected. Locals said the abandoned park has become a haven for miscreants at night and a grazing field for cattle during the day.
Local resident Zainal Shikdar said construction began several years ago but no significant progress had been made.
“People heard that more than Tk1 crore was allocated for the project. But apart from the boundary wall and some sand filling, nothing substantial has been done,” he said.
He alleged that the remaining funds had been misused and urged the authorities to take immediate steps to complete the park.
“We want the administration to take initiatives so that children, teenagers and people of all ages can use the park for recreation,” he added.
Pirojpur District Council Administrator Principal Alamgir Hossain acknowledged that major irregularities had occurred during the previous construction work.
“The irregularities in the project are now visible. We are conducting an internal review to examine the matter,” he said.
He added that a proposal would be sent to the relevant ministry seeking additional funds to complete the project.
“Once the allocation is approved, we will develop an attractive children’s park on the bank of the Baleshwar River,” he said.
Locals said they hoped the authorities would prepare a master plan for the park and complete the remaining work soon to open it for public use.
