Lost magic of Gulshan area

I have heard from my father that when he was studying at a famous Dhaka school, the authorities of the institution used to take its students to Gulshan for picnic every year.

It was in the decade of the sixties. As my father's school was located in the New Market area, the journey to the far-away Gulshan by bus was a thrilling one in those days. According to my father, Gulshan then was a dense forest --- full of mango and jackfruit trees.

The forest was so thick that many people from 'Dhaka Town' used to get lost once they took a wrong path. As my father puts it, Gulshan was an idyllic spot in his childhood. He lived with his parents in the Jigatola area.

Now what we can see in Gulshan! No use telling the youngsters about Gulshan's sylvan past. They will laugh away the absurd tale and take us for crazy, fanciful people. But all this is true.

These days Gulshan-1 and Gulshan-2, along with Banani-Baridhara, are among the busiest areas of Dhaka. Roads are filled with cars, big and small buses, microbuses, auto-rickshaws, motorbikes and many other types of transports. Sidewalks are overcrowded, with some areas occupied by hawkers. There are an array of high-rise shopping malls, office buildings, schools, hotels etc. Residential areas are being overwhelmed by their imposing presence.

As a resident of this once-exclusive zone, I wonder how long I would be able to live in the area. Could the tranquility, that was the magic of Gulshan even when I came to live here, be brought back by any sorcerer?

Rahnuma Shabnam

Gulshan-2, Dhaka