Experts at a programme on Thursday said a city like Dhaka, home to roughly 15 million people, has only 235 playgrounds against the requirement of 2,400.
Of those playgrounds, the common people have access to only 42 while 16 have been grabbed by illegal occupants, 141 are institutional, 24 belong to various colonies and 12 are used as Eidgah.
Dhaka has less than one square metre open space per person against the requirement of 9.0 square metres suggested by the World Bank.
They also noted that women, children and elderly people are mostly affected due to lack of playgrounds in Dhaka.
These were revealed during a 'Planning Dialogue on Playgrounds of Dhaka: Present State and Way Forward'.
Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) organised the dialogue at its premises.
BIP acting president Prof Akter Mahmud chaired the dialogue while general secretary Adil Mohammed Khan presented the research findings.
According to Detailed Area Plan (DAP) 2010, one square metre open space is required for one person. For 12,500 people, two or three playgrounds are required with an area of one acre each for a community.
In his presentation, Mr Adil said playgrounds were considered recreation infrastructure which is now a health infrastructure. Although Dhanmondi and Uttara are some of the planned areas, the common people do not have access to the playgrounds due to illegal occupation, he added.
There is even no or one playground in one ward in both the city corporations, said Mr Adil. Both the city corporations need at least another 70 playgrounds.
"Although the much-talked-about Purbachal is claimed to be a planned city, there is 85 per cent deficiency of playgrounds and open space. The population is estimated to be 1.5 million there," he said, adding: Rajuk has created 84 new plots by squeezing those open lands kept as open space.
Referring to the newly added 18 unions in the two city corporations, he said houses were built on 40 per cent of those areas while 17 per cent land remains unused. There is still a scope for saving vacant lands through advance planning in those areas, he added.
Speakers criticised that although the two city corporations have undertaken a modernisation project of the parks named 'Jol Sabuje Dhaka', these are mostly done in a non-transparent way as they do not consult with planners and other stakeholders.
They have been maintaining strict secrecy about the cost of the project and focusing more on beautification and infrastructure than to keep open space for recreation and games for health purposes.
Experts have suggested undertaking multi-billion dollar mega health infrastructure projects to save the playgrounds, parks, recover those from grabbers and create new ones. Separate parks for women can be created to ensure their access.
They criticised that the idea of car parking under the parks or playgrounds is nothing but a conspiracy to serve the interests of a vested group. People usually refrain from those parks where they have to cross a major road or vehicles move around that, they added.
Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust programme coordinator Maruf Rahman said it is not a right concept that more space cannot be allotted for a densely-populated city like Dhaka. Tokyo which is the most densely populated city in the world, has allotted 3 sq m open space, Hong Kong 2.5 sq m, Bangalore 17.8 sq m.
According to the WB, women are the major victims due to the deprivation from physical activity along with elderly people and children.
"If we want to achieve the SDG goal 11 which tells to make the city inclusive, we must ensure proper park and playground," said Mr Maruf.
BIP vice president Fazle Reza Sumon said the authority has been giving so much importance to infrastructure in the modernisation projects of parks and playgrounds that the functionality of those has raised questions. The impact of lack of playgrounds is visible now in society, he added.
They are implementing the project as they have to do it and spend the money, said Mr Reza.
"Purbachal project will be worse than what happened in Uttara. Planners should not take the responsibility for neglecting planning aspects in various projects and lack of foresight of the policymakers and public servants," he said.
Akter Mahmud said health infrastructure is not any important issue in the development philosophy here. In a city where 15 million people live, at least 2,400 playgrounds are required. But 84 per cent of the population cannot go to any park or playground, he added.
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