Dhaka: Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan on Thursday visited the newly renovated Akbaria Eidgah ground in Mirpur and directed authorities to remove illegal fish markets and other encroachments around the area to keep it clean and accessible to the public.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the renovation work of the ground was carried out at a cost of over Tk 1.28 crore under DNCC's Environment, Climate and Disaster Management Circle. As part of the renovation, the drainage system has been improved, a 260-metre walkway constructed, a security fence and multiple entry gates installed, street lights set up, and dustbins placed.
The upgraded facility can accommodate around 7,000 worshippers for Eid prayers at a time. Provision has also been made for offering funeral prayers. During the visit, the DNCC administrator expressed personal significance for the field, stating that many of his childhood memories were associated with it, and it was linked with his political life. He emphasized the determination to develop it into a clean, safe space.
He also highlighted the issue of illegal fish markets being set up around the ground without permission, causing environmental pollution and public suffering. He instructed that no illegal raw market, fish market, or food court would be allowed to occupy the sidewalks around this field and that concerned officials would implement these directions with local cooperation.
Furthermore, the administrator announced that the ground would remain open throughout the day for public use, especially for children's sports and recreation. He assured that necessary sports equipment would be provided by the city corporation if required, emphasizing that sports and physical activity are essential to keep young people away from drugs and crime.