Hundred years of Ramna Park of Dhaka
BSS, Dhaka
Ramna Park, the green oasis, the lung of the Dhaka city has survived one
hundred years amidst 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 are organising a programme to celebrate the park
centenary.
"One day this city would be turned into a dumping ground if we do not
establish a close relation****p between the city dwellers and the nature,
and
if we do not make ourselves more humane," 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 'Kew 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 Park that 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 the plantation plan of the city.
Jobaida Mirza in her book 'Those Colourful 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 walk around 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 Medical College) 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 with flowers.
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 waterway created during the Mughal era,' Jobaida Mirza wrote
in
her book.
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