Thesis3 by Bernard Forier

RAMNA AREA TRANSCENDING THE LIMITS OF PUBLIC LIFE IN RAMNA AREA

Permission for Use of Content: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The authors herewith permit it that the present dissertation be made available for consultation; parts of it may be copied, strictly for personal use. Every other use is subject to strict copyright reservations. Particular reference is made to the obligation of explicitly mentioning the source when quoting the present dissertationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s results.â&#x20AC;? Leuven, 2012 All images presented in this booklet are, unless credits are given, made or drawn by the authors.

Booklet 3: RAMNA

AREA

THE STAGE 20 LIMITS

OF THE STAGE 21 MAINSTAGE 27

ACTORS AND PLAY 32 TYPES 35

INFORMALITY 39 STORIES OF TODAY 43 SEGREGATION 47 EXPRESSION 63

SCENERY AND PLAY 65 CULTURAL BELT 69

PARK ZONE 101 FESTIVITIES 125 COURT ZONE 135 ‘DEMOCRATIC’ ZONE 139 CAMPUS AREA 143 OTHERS 147

THEATRE THEORY In architectural theories you have two extreme hypotheses about the relation between architecture and social processes. One states that the physical world is a reproduction of the social processes and that the built up environment reflects the social relations. The other says that social processes are to a large extent generated by the physical world. In between lays the ‘theatre theory’. The theatre theory is an adapted version of the ‘scene model’ of De Meulder en Heynen [De Meulder, Heynen 2003]. The theatre model uses the metaphor of a theatre play. It sees the physical world, the built environment as the stage setting or scenery. This setting determines which theatre play can or can’t be played but it doesn’t determine what the actors say or do. It outlines the range of theatre plays that can be played. The actors are able to influence the scenery by moving, erasing or creating new sceneries. In the theatre hypothesis there is a dialectical relation between the acting of the actors and the scenery, between social relations and the physical environment. The theatre theory determines the main structure of the booklet ‘Ramna Area’: ‘The Stage’, ‘Actors and Play’ and ‘Scenery and Play’. Although the analysis of Ramna is not explicitly made from the theatre perspective, this theory has to be kept in mind while reading ‘Ramna Area’.

Next page, left page: First row, left to right: painter in front of Fine Arts [Mumit M. 2011], rickshaw pullers on Shahbag Second row, left to right: man sleeping in Suhrawardi Udyan, breakfast at Shaheed Minar, children playing in the waterbody in Suhrawardi Udyan Third row, left to right: couples enjoying the afternoon next to Ramna lake, political protest in Ramna Area [Mumit M. 2012] Next page, right page: festivity in Ramna Area

National Museum

Library

Fine Arts Institute

Hospital

Teacher Student Centre (TSC)

Mosque

Bangla Academy

Tennis Court

Amphitheatre (Open air)

Footballfield

Mausoleum of Three Leaders Shaheed Minar

Police

Institution of Engineers (IEB)

Government Houses

Banyan Tree

Government Villas

New Liberation War Museum

Government Facilities

Shishu Park

Student Dormitories

New Bangla Academy Building

University Facilities

Ruposhi Bangla Hotel Dhaka Club New Market Ramna Cathedral General Post Office Nagar Bhaban New Supreme Court Building

School Facilities Teacher Housing Market Monument/Statue Judicial Facilities Stadium Residential Building

Curzon Hall

Water

Kali Mandir (Hindu Temple)

Tree

Atomic Centre British Council Exposition Space Shilpakala Academy Old Liberation War Museum Old Liberation War Museum

Swimming Pool

MIND MAP OF RAMNA AREA

>First row,left to right: map of 1952 [Survey of Paksitan offices 1952] - map of 1924 [Poyntz 1924] - map of 1960 [Quraishi 1960] Second row, left to right: map of the period between 1947 and 1970 [Surveyor General of Pakistan 1947-1971] - map of the period between 1947 and 1970 [British Library 1947-1970] - recent map [Geo Consult Enquiry]

THE STAGE LIMITS OF THE STAGE MAINSTAGE

ACTORS AND PLAY SCENERY AND PLAY

LIMITS OF THE STAGE: PRESET Ramna Area is not just a clearly defined zone. Officially there is not such a thing as ‘Ramna Area’. The maps on the previous page show that the name ‘Ramna’ appears on different spots on maps from different time periods. The question surges what Ramna Area exactly is? Can this area be distinguished from its surroundings? What are its characteristics? Where does it start and where does it end? What are the limits of the stage? It is hard to say what characterizes Ramna Area but when walking around in this neighbourhood one can somehow ‘feel’ the difference with the rest of the city. Is it because of the presence of so much ‘green’, because of the functionality of the buildings, because of the physical characteristics or is there something else? There is not one single element that defines Ramna but it is rather a mixture of many elements. To tackle the question where the limits of this area are, different layers are looked at resulting in different footprints.

GREEN AREAS In the concrete jungle of Dhaka there is little green space. Nevertheless in our investigation zone there is plenty of green. <

Map based on Google Earth [Google Earth 2010]

500m

THE STAGE_

LIMITS OF THE STAGE

UNIVERSITY AND GOVERNMENT Ramna area is characterized by a high concentration of university and governmental facilities.

Based on map from Dhaka City Corporation [DCC 2006] and adapted on basis of fieldwork

University Residences

Governmental Residences

University Facilities

Governmental Facilities

500m

HOUSING In Ramna area â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;normalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; housing is almost absent.

NOTE: There are residential facilities but these are governmental or belong to the universities as marked in the map above. <

Based on map from Dhaka City Corporation [DCC 2006] and adapted on basis of fieldwork

Housing

500m

Mixed: Housing+Commercial 22

WATER SUPPLY PIPES Even below ground level differences can be noticed. The map on the left indicates where the water supply pipes are situated. In the grey zone there is a less dense water supply network than outside the grey zone.

‘Water Supply Map of Dhaka City’ from the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority [WASA 2008]

500m

RAMNA THANA Dhaka consists of 22 ‘Thanas’ which literally mean "police station" referring to the precinct covered by a police station

Map based on Ramna Thana district map from Banglapedia [Sarkar 2006]

500m

THE STAGE_

LIMITS OF THE STAGE

BUILDING MORPHOLOGY There is a sharp contrast between the dense city tissue outside the marked zone and a porous tissue dotted with buildings inside the marked zone. Ramna area is the only place left in Dhaka where the traditional Bengali idea of ‘Banga Bari’ -which means ‘house in a garden’-is still present.

Based on map from Dhaka City Corporation [DCC 2006] and adapted on basis of fieldwork

500m

STREET MORPHOLOGY The city tissue of Dhaka is sliced into smaller patches by the bigger roads. In general these patches are strongly veined with smaller sideways, but inside the marked area this is not the case. <

Based on map from Dhaka City Corporation [DCC 2006] and adapted on basis of fieldwork

500m

THE STAGE_

Old Railway

Based on map from Environmental System Research Institute [ESRI 1999]

LIMITS OF THE STAGE

500m

CUMULATION OF FOOTPRINTS The sum of all the footprints shows that Ramna Area is not a clear-cut zone but there is definitely a difference between Ramna and its surroundings. The darker the zone the more characteristics are present. Sometimes there is a sharp border like for example in the south and the north west defined by the old railway. In general however there is rather a smooth transition.

Commercial

Jail

500m

NUANCES Based on the footprints, the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;stumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the east belongs to Ramna. This is the stadium area. However, walking around in this area one can notice a different atmosphere. A second look at the functionality shows that in the stadium area there is a high density of commercial functions. This is in sharp contrast with the rest of Ramna Area. The stump in the south is the Central Jail.

In the previous part the cumulation of several physical and functional characteristics made clear that Ramna Area differs from its surroundings. Now looking through the eyes of the actors, a hierarchy becomes clear within the defined zone. The heart of Ramna is dotted with cultural important buildings configured in more or less a circular form. The assembly of these buildings is often referred to as the Cultural Belt. The Cultural Belt embraces and interlaces the two parks of Ramna Area: Suhrawardi Udyan and Ramna Park. This central zone we define as the ‘Main Stage’. The cultural and park qualities are the main attraction poles of the site. Ramna does not only attract people who live nearby but also people from other parts of the city and even from all over the Bengali region. [see page 38] NOTE: The ‘Cultural Belt’ is not an official name as such. However this name was generally used by architecture students and professors of BUET-University and other architects from Bangladesh.

RAMNA LOCALS

The people who live within Ramna Area are principally students, government officials and ‘informals’. Students and government officials come to the Main Stage because of both its park and its cultural function. The ‘informals’ are mainly poor people living in the slums, filling up the leftover space in the park area, in little mobile stands or in improvised constructions. They do informal work like vending flowers or snacks. The presence of ‘rich’ people adds an interesting economical perspective to the Main Stage.

DHAKA CITIZENS

The cultural activity of the area also invites citizens from far outside Ramna. Furthermore the Dhaka citizens also frequent the latter because of a lack of green areas in Dhaka. The extremely bad traffic conditions make this a problematic situation. One park for a 15 million city giant is definitely not enough. Furthermore the presence of 3 important hospitals and the court buildings are another reason for the Dhaka citizens to come. Finally the Stadium Area attracts people from all over Dhaka. Not solely because of the sportive events but also because of the electronic shops and other commercial functions in the stadium building.

BENGALIS

The Cultural Belt does not only facilitate ‘regular’ concerts, theatre plays and expositions but it also stages ‘national’ events like Bengali New Year and the yearly bookfair. These ‘special’ yearly events are a good reason for thousands of Bengalis - both from Bangladesh as from all over the Bengali region- to make the trip to the capital of Bangladesh. More specific to Ramna Area, and more specific to the Main Stage. On such moments Ramna Main Stage becomes the heart of the Bengali Culture. 27

THE STAGE_

MAINSTAGE

MORE THAN JUST A PARK

It is clear that Ramna does not only fulfil a role on a local scale, but also on a city and even on a transnational scale. This is what makes this area unique. Ramna is ‘just a park’ for the Ramna Locals but at the same time it is also more than ‘just a park’. The interference between the different actors happens on the Main Stage. It is an intersection space for all kind of people from all kind of places. Furthermore Ramna Area is analysed into more detail but the main focus is on the Mainstage.

^ Top photo: Celebration of Boshonto in Ramna Mainstage. [Mumit M. 2011] Lowest photo: a scene in Ramna Park on a regular morning.

THE STAGE_

MAINSTAGE

THE STAGE

ACTORS AND PLAY TYPES INFORMALITY STORIES OF TODAY SEGREGATION EXPRESSION

SCENERY AND PLAY

THE ACTORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S POINT OF VIEW Looking through the eyes of the actors pointed out a hierarchy in Ramna Area. This underlines the importance of the Mainstage. In this chapter the actors and their behaviour are the main focus. Although there is a dialectical relation between actors and scenery, the essence of public space is the actors. After all the play is acted by the actors. In that sense the scenery just enables the actors to create the theatre play. Who are they? Why do they come to the public stage? How do they act and how do they interact? And a question not to forget: who is missing in the public play? In this chapter the most characteristic types of users of Ramna will be categorized, described and above all interpreted.

LOCALS

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

People at the upper strata of society, living in the ‘Democratic’ Zone in the northeast of Ramna Area. They frequent the park to exercise or to relax after a busy day. Fieldwork indicated that most of them work in the court institutions or Motijheel (office area).

STUDENTS

The majority of the students studying in Ramna Area also live in the university residences. Some of them come from a village outside of Dhaka. Other also live in Dhaka but, because of the congested traffic situation, it is a huge saving of time staying in the university residences. There are separate boys and girls dormitories.

INFORMALS Moving Vendors

Vendors without real facilities. For male vendrs it is typical to go around with tea and coffee, peanuts or warm snacks. Female vendors sell typically very cheap meals or flowers on the side of the road.

Mobile Stands

Most of the vendors with mobile stands come from a villages outside of Dhaka. They spend about 20 days in Ramna Area and then go back for a few days to their families in the countryside.

Improvised Constructions

Although the improvised constructions are informal, they are not a ‘temporal’ phenomena. They are actually full fledged shops. Especially the flower shop-community on the Shahbag-node is very strongly rooted.

VENDORS

EMPLOYEES

STREET CHILDREN

FLOATING

The court institutions, university facilities, Dhaka Club and others attract people from the lower strata of society. They do mainly maintenance and cleaning work. Slum dwellings arise next and between the institutions. During the day, the street children try to make some money with selling flowers and sweets or just by begging. During night times there is a problem of child abuse. Among the children the sniffing of Danti -shoe wax- is a common feature. [Kamal 2011] Beggars, drug addicts, crippled people, prostitutes and other people without any form of housing are part of the street image in Ramna Area. In the morning pathways and roundabouts are filled with people living in inhuman and desperate situations.

ACTORS AND PLAY_TYPES

CAMPUS AREA AND ‘DEMOCRATIC’ ZONE Ramna area can be divided into 2 zones on basis of the habitats of the Locals. The students stay in the Campus Area and the Government Officials in the ‘Democratic’ Zone. The park zone, squeezed in between the Campus Area and the ‘Democratic’ Zone stages many informal constructions. The informal poor fill up the leftover spaces scattered throughout the city tissue. In this sense the formal poor are the cement of Ramna Area, interlacing the students and government officials.

Based on slum map from Centre of Urban Studies, Dhaka [CUS 2005] and adapted on basis of fieldwork.

500m

CITIZENS Citizens

Even from far outside of Ramna, the park area is frequented to do some sport before work. Ramna is also a ‘forced’ waiting room. After a hospital visit or when people dropped their children at school, it is better not returning home because of the traffic jams.

WORKMEN

Most of these people are working in the court institutions or try to sign pharmaceutical contracts with hospitals and clients. Also the office zone in Motijheel conducts plenty of people to the park areas.

CNG DRIVERS

CNG’s (Compressed Natural Gas) are a very popular mean of transportation. Their high mobility gives them the advantage of a rickshaw to squeeze through the small openings in traffic jams, but at the velocity of a car.

MIDDLE/UPPER CLASS

FORMAL POOR

RICKSHAW PULLERS

SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

GUARDS AND POLICEMEN

Rickshawpullers are a cornerstone of the society and the most important source of work for the lower class men. The rickshaw companies rent their material in 3 shifts: a morning, evening and night shift.

In Ramna Area there are a couple of secondary schools. During breaks, when skipping classes or after school they hang around in the park area. Policemen are transported by van from their police thana to their surveillance spot. They make very long days and get paid few. The police and guards are often related to blackmail and corruption. [Sarre, Das & Albrecht 2005]. The police as an institution has lost credibility. [A Shafi] Next to Shahbag-node, in the north of Ramna Area, is a police thana(station) located.

BENGALIS BENGALIS

PILGRIMS

People come from all over the Bengali region to Ramna Area for special occasions like Bengali New Year or the Ekushey Book fair.

Special bus lines are organized from cities all over the country to transport retired men to the Kakrail Mosque. They spend here about a week to dedicate themselves to prayers.

ACTORS AND PLAY_TYPES

USER DISTRIBUTION Out of the 58 interviewed people in Ramna Area 8 persons reside in Mipur, 1 in Tejgaon 2 in Tongi, 5 in Dhamondi, 7 in Motijheel 7, 3 in Khilagon, 3 in Mohammadpur, 2 in Utarra, 4 in Ghulsan, 16 in Ramna Area,3 in Old Dhaka and 3 outside of Dhaka. Remarkably many of the interviewed people from Mirpur, Gulshan and Mohammadpur said to come on a regular basis to Ramna Area although it takes them between 1 and 2 hours. One of the interviewed persons even travels every weekend 3 hours from Tongi to Ramna and 3 hours back just to hang around in Ramna Park. The interviews not only expose an already mentioned problem of a lack of green space but also confirm the need of green and open space. People are willing to travel for huge distances in very bad traffic conditions just to sit on a bench in a park. The combination of a lack of green space and the congested traffic situation is one of the main factors of the miserable quality of life in Dhaka. Dhaka is ranked 206th of 222 on the quality of living ranking from Mercer. [Global Mobillity Articles and Studies 2010] NOTE: The information on page this and the previous page is based on fieldwork interviews and observations unless references are given.

< At first sight the informal settlement in Suhrawardi Udyan seems to exclude itself from public life, but later that day the settlement is transformed into an open air cafeteria.

ACTORS AND PLAY_INFORMALITY

URBAN GROWTH Only recently the majority of the world’s population is living in cities and, in future years, most of all new global population growth will be in cities in the ‘developing’ world. [Watson 2008] The city of Dhaka can be considered as a primal example for the world wide urban growth. In 2015, Dhaka will be the second biggest mega city in the world. [Islam 2005] CLASH OF RATIONALITIES In the third world a ‘Clash of Rationalities’ is at work and Dhaka deals with the same issues. [Watson 2008] It is a clash that emerges between the government on one side and the increasingly marginalized urban populations surviving largely under conditions of informality on the other side. According to the World Bank (1999), 65 per cent of all employment in Dhaka city is in the informal sector and another study (1996) reports that 81 per cent of the urban poor are employed in the informal sector. [Siddiqui et al. 2010] On top of that, the free market and the property industry is grasping around and thereby shapes the urban space. As a consequence, the poor seek a foothold in the urban areas primarily on the urban edge. These left over spaces are almost entirely unserviced and unregulated. Most of them are categorized as a slum settlement and primarily in these areas the city grows. [See Booklet Public Space, Classification of open space in Dhaka, Slums]

In Dhaka City the governance arrangements are known for corruption, poor service delivery and inefficiency. Unfairly, the rich and powerful are favoured over the poor and disadvantaged, which strengthens the present power structure. The gap will not disappear automatically due to the low level of political consciousness among the informals and the animosity between the faction of the political power, the Awami-League and the BNP. [Siddiqui et al. 2010]

INTERFACE The government seriously has to reconsider the situation of the informals. Nowadays two imperatives are at work in Dhaka, that of survival by the informals and that of governing. An ‘interface’ between these two imperatives is lacking and certainly needs more investigation. [Watson 2008] In total there are three possibilities of handling with the informals: firstly by neglecting them and relying on their inventive self-sufficiency, secondly by excluding them actively and even relocating them and finally it is possible to find a way of integrating them into the society and make them ‘contribute’ to that same society. PARK AREA’S In the specific setting of Ramna Area, Suhrawardi Udyan is an assembly of multiple informal settlements. Ramna Park, on the contrary, conceives only a few floating people without any sort of accommodation, implicating that they sleep in open air. This difference is primarily due to the curfew in Ramna Park, but other elements contribute as well. In fact some precincts in Suhrawardi Udyan have poor lighting and are insufficient designed and maintained. As a consequence these residual spaces are claimed by the homeless and poor and therefore attenuate the place further more. Eventually the situation gets trapped into a chicken-and-egg situation from where it is hard to find a way out. HIGH COURT AND DU Besides the parks the homeless have settled themselves in the proximity of the buildings of High Court and the dormitories of Dhaka University. In comparison with the informal settlements in the parks the density of these slums is much higher. They are better organised and even function as small communities. [Fielwork3]

500m

< The different informal settlements in the parks and the surroundings are mapped on the right. Four kinds of settlements can be distinguished: floating people, stalls, temporary and permanent settlements.

ACTORS AND PLAY_INFORMALITY

3 DISTINCTIVE GROUPS Considering the involvement in labour, the group of informals is divided into three groups: employees, vendors and floating people. Homeless people working illegally for example as concierge or as cleaner fall under the terms as employees. Contradictory, High Court acquires informals as personnel. The next working group are the vendors and they are again split up into three types. The separation is based on the way they sell, namely selling from permanent stalls, from mobile carts or by floating. Primarily the entrances of Suhrawardi Udyan have to endure vendors of all kind. Finally the floating people are the most problematic group present in the parks. Their presence is linked with the connotation of danger and criminality and therefore scares off other users. The first two groups are in a way the cement of society, they keep the engine going. The formal people firmly depend on them in everyday life.

PRIVATE-PUBLIC Clearly the presence of homeless people is inevitable in a mega city as Dhaka. Anyhow the temporary and permanent settlements, which occupy public spaces like Suhrawardi Udyan and Ramna Park and claim it as their private territory are not â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;contributingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to the park. Undeniably, the private use by these informals and public use by the park visitors collide and thereby impede each other fiercely. If they become interactive users, they will be integrated into the functioning of park. Without a doubt the public use of the parks will benefit from it. The informals who serve the general good of the parks, like the mobile carts vendors, have to be valued. Their (il)legal status needs reconsidering because they have no rights at all. Continuously they live in great insecurity all the time. It is especially a poignant situation for families with little children. During the day the mobile cart serves as a stall selling food and drinks to the users of the park while at night the cart is transformed into a bed. Actually the mobile carts do good business and that indicates clearly that their presence is an addition to the park. In some way they facilitate the park and they live in great harmony with the place.

After the prayer I took a rickshaw to Suhrawardi for my early morning gymnastics. I used to go to Ramna Park, but nowadays it is always overloaded with joggers in the early hours. Actually I like Suhrawardi in the morning but in the late afternoon it is a gathering place for dangerous criminals and junks. After my coco juice I returned to my house to have a quick shower and leave for my work. My office is in Motijheel. Rickshaw distance. After work I usually go to Ramna Park for a short walk to shake off the stress. Today however ‘Taimur Rahman’ is playing in the ‘Engineering faculty’. I’ve been a big fan of him for years now. I prefer seeing him now instead of during ‘Poyela Boishakh’. I don’t like that fake celebration. Different kind of people pretending they are one. That is not my thing. On the way home a rickshaw puller scratched my car. I got out and made that scum clear he better not do it again.

I had a good breakfast at the Rokeya Hall. After one hour I skipped classes. Algebra is not my favorite. I took a rickshaw to Suhrawardi … The puller looked exhausted. Had a little chat with him and tipped the poor guy 5 taka. A smile appeared on his wrinkled face. Bhadon was already waiting at the theatre. Without him I prefer not to enter Suhrawardi. Too much eyes. We spent the afternoon chatting and laughing under the shadow of a tree. Way more exciting then math classes! We had cocojuice at TSC before Bhadon left. I often come to TSC with my friends. Best place to look for a boy! “ TAIMUR RAHMAN, 7 O’CLOCK AT ENGINEERING FACULTY” shouted the speakers of a passing publicity rickshaw. The concert was splendid. The atmosphere however a little bit awkward because of the presence of all those suited-up government officials. All corrupted folks! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen so many of them. 43

ACTORS AND PLAY_STORIES

OF TODAY

At 5 am I left for the fruit market close to Farmgate. 5 am is early but the early morning brings a lot of thirsty sportsmen to the park, willing to spend their takas on some fresh coco juice. Tomorrow I go back to my hometown. Back to my wife and children. Looking forward to it. Normally I live about 20 days in Ramna and 4 days in my hometown. In Ramna my wooden stand is my house which I share with my brother. It’s my house, it’s my bed, my transport van, my store,… life is ok over here. I shower in the park. Dinner is delivered for 30 taka at our van. Most of the people are nice to me. Today I had a small discussion with a biker. Guys like him only think about themselves but not only the gas prices are rising…

The water is nice and cool. A pity that a nice place doesn’t just fill your stomach. Luckily I sold plenty of flower bracelets last week. ’Pohela Boishakh’ is coming soon and then people are more willing to buy flowers. Suhrawardi is my playground and my house. I wash in the pool, sleep in the kiosk and go to the toilet behind the bus stops. I am saving some money to buy a book. Mujib told me to do it. Mujib is the nicest person in Bangladesh! Sometimes he comes to the park and then he teaches us some English words and he talks with us. Yesterday he was very upset because Komali was huffing ‘Danti’ until she passed out. ‘ Danti’ is to put on your shoes not in your nose!’ he yelled at her. Mujib doesn’t know Komali was beaten again yesterday because she resisted when a late night visitor tried to harass her. At night the park is full of perverts! 44

Thursday is my day off. I love a day off’. Waking up late and chilling all day in Ramna Park. On my bike it only takes half an hour to go because at 11 o’clock traffic jams are at their lowest. To go back is another story… It is always nice to hang out in Ramna Park. Most of the time I just come here to chill on a bench. Today I met with Sarah at the theatre in Suhrawardi. We had a fine afternoon. Smoked a couple of joints , had a nice chitchat and an excellent coco juice… I bought a flower bracelet from a little boy for Sarah. Nice move! I had a discussion with the cocos vendor about the coco price. It used to be only 30 taka a piece and the guy was asking 40. Bastard! The rising gas prizes are taking a big bite out of my wallet. Pff I’m not looking forward to the way back. I can assure you that being stuck for 3 hours in a traffic jam is no fun.

Temperatures are rising under my burka. It’s not the ideal suit for doing sports but I prefer wearing a burka above shouting men and disparaging eyes. After my morning jog I go to the ‘women zone’ to do some exercises with the other women. It was an exhausting morning. The pointer of my watch indicated half past 9. Still 2 hours till my daughter leaves school but Ramna-Mohakali is at least a 1 hour drive so it has no sense going back home for a shower. Dhaka and traffic. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand what the mayor problem over here is. I would stay in the park like some other men do but alone I don’t feel so comfortable. So I always go to an aunt who lives nearby to let time pass.

ACTORS AND PLAY_STORIES

OF TODAY

Rickshaw pullers are the backbone of Dhaka. A heavy weight to carry. “Life isn’t easy when you feel like the weight of Dhaka is crushing up on your shoulders” says Abdullah. Today Hasib is doing double shifts . 5 mouths to feed. He woke up in his rickshaw at 9 o’clock at Shabahnode. Had a quick bite in front of Shishupark. A banana and a cupcake. Passed the day around the park area. It’s been a good day. Some office men, students,… they paid well today. Most of the time his customers only discuss the money with him, but today he transported a very kind student who asked how he was doing.. Had dinner on the side of the road close to TSC before going back home. Rice with some vegetables for 30 taka. Not bad but not so much. On the way home I accidently scratched a car. An older man in posh suit got out and slapped me in the face. As a rickshaw puller you are not supposed to make scratches and to silence when they hit you.

I just arrived at the Sonargaon Hotel. Fancy place. It was a very exhausting and most of all life fearing bus ride from Chittagong. Tonight I’m playing at the ‘Engineering Institute’. It’s been a long time since I played here, but I always like playing in the capital. People go crazy for my drums over here. Actually the concert is just a starter for me. In a couple of days it’s the real thing. Then it is ‘Poyela Boishakh’ and I’ll play on a stage under the famous Banyan tree in Ramna Park. I love ‘Poyela Boishakh’ because that’s when people from all over Bangladesh come to Dhaka to spend time with their families. Different people from different classes celebrating the beginning of the Bengali year in Ramna area together: that is magnificent!

LOCAL SEGREGATION In the first booklet a historical perspective [See Booklet History, Segregation] pointed out 4 types of segregation: Economical segregation: Poor-Rich Military segregation: Militaries-Civilians Religious segregation: Hindu-Muslim Political segregation: Bengali-Bangladeshi These are all phenomenons of the society of Bangladesh as a whole. Zooming in on Ramna Area these general forms of segregation have to be looked at in their particular context. Two questions arise: To what extent does the specific situation of Ramna Area coincide with the general situation of Bangladesh? Does the specific local situation in Ramna generate other forms of segregation that cannot just be generalized for the rest of Dhaka nor Bangladesh? The latter question is answered by looking at the map on the right.

MOVEMENT MAP Combining the movement map with the residential map of the locals [see Booklet Ramna Area, Actors and Play,Types] indicates that there is a specific local segregation in Ramna Area, namely between students and government officials. The yellow and green organic lines represent the movement patterns of respectively the government officials and the students. The map demonstrates that there is only a limited overlap between the movement lines of the students and the government officials. They mostly stay in their own zones. Furthermore the map shows that the south-east corner of Suhrawardy Udyan is not often frequented. This is a very ill-facilitated zone separated from the Court Zone by a impenetrable wall. Therefore this zone will be referred to as ‘no man’s land’.

ACTORS AND PLAY_LOCAL

SEGREGATION

The yellow and green organic lines represent the movement patterns respectively of the government officials and of the students. Consequently, the zone of influence can be derived. In between the Suhrawardi Udyan and Ramna Park ‘No Man’s Land’ is located.

500m

Suhrawardi Udyan

Teacher Student Centre

Ramna Park

Suhrawardi Udyan

ACTORS AND PLAY_LOCAL

FIXED PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES The plan on the left indicates the different territories of Ramna. The plan on the right indicates the physical boundaries in Ramna Area like walls and fences. Remarkably, the map on the left and on the right almost completely coincide. This means that almost every territory is outlined by a physical boundary. Each territory operates as a separate plot, mostly lacking any relationship with the neighbouring plots and the surroundings.

SEGREGATION

Places like TSC-Node and Shaheed Minar are an exception. Instead of using fences and walls, these places wield topography as means to screen. These are very intensively used and vibrant places. During the day, all kind of people come and go and different users make use of these places for different purposes. Contemplating the specific situation of Ramna Area , the physical boundaries of Ramna Area enforce segregation between different groups. The few â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;limitlessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; plots are intensively used and these are places where different groups are confronted with each other. Teacher Students Centre

^ The top picture shows the entrance of the British Council that is strictly controlled by a guard. The middle one points out that the relationship between the street life and the adjacent buildings is completely absent due to the walls. The bottom photo indicates how fences can be appropriated by floating people to dry their laundry. <The two sections on the left highlight the troublesome mutual relation between the central parks Suhrawardi Udyan and Ramna Park and the connection with the surrounding buildings.

500m

500m Shaheed Minar

PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES BY USE The fixed boundaries do not stand on their own. They are enforced by boundaries that are created by the movement of different actors. The connection between territories is impeded by dense traffic flows. Except for a few pedestrian bridges no crossings are foreseen. Moreover the bridges are almost never used to pass the road. The traffic density varies greatly during the day. In the early morning -before 8 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock- it is possible to easily pass the road. Many vendors use this moment to have rickshaw pullers bring their products to their stand, or they go get it themselves. The rest of the day crisscrossing vehicles turn the crossing of a road into a life-threatening experience. On peak hours it is almost impossible to get to the other side.

^From top to bottom the photos show the transition from heavy traffic to medium traffic to slow traffic.

ACTORS AND PLAY_LOCAL

SEGREGATION

The width of the lines on the map gives an impression of the density of the road. The crowded roads are an additional boundary but this time ‘by use’ in Ramna Area.

500m

The previous pages indicated that there is a strong segregation between the students and government officials in Ramna Area. The main reason is the highly concentrated self-reliant structure of the campus. A student can perfectly pass his day without leaving the campus area. There is a place to sleep, to eat, to study, to read, to sport, to relax, for entertainment and so on. When they leave the campus area their movements are rather limited to the west side of Suhrawardi Udyan. This is a general statement confirmed by the observations. It is clear that this is a simplified vision of reality: now and then students also can be spotted in for example the Ramna Park but their number is noticeable limited. For the government officials the same logic can be applied. However their movement outside the government enclave is rather limited to Ramna Park. A HIGHLY CONCENTRATED SELF-RELIANT STRUCTURE From a functional perspective a concentrated self-reliant structure is an efficient way of organizing structures like the university life. This structure strengthens the community and enables it to form a strong entity that can stand up against ruling powers. However by creating self-reliant concentrated zones the osmosis and interaction between different groups is reduced. This encourages an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;island societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and conflicts based on misunderstandings. INTERTWINING UNCOMPLETED STRUCTURES This is the mirror image of a highly concentrated self-reliant enclave. From a functional perspective an intertwining uncompleted structure is less efficient. This idea states that by mingling and scattering different facilities, different groups of people will be confronted and meet with each other. By not providing every facility, thus not completing the structure, missing facilities will mushroom automatically. The logic of question and answer. These facilities however will serve a diversified

ACTORS AND PLAY_LOCAL

public and not a polarized one. Instead of creating an ‘island-society’, this statement claims that a more homogeneous society and better understandings will be the result. [Gehl 2009] DHAKA UNIVERSITY The campus area in Dhaka is a materialization of a highly concentrated self-reliant structure. University centres in Bangladesh have always been centres of cultural creativity and political contestation. The university area in Dhaka was created in the beginning of the 20th century by the British to cope with the growing need for high-educated workers. The university produced more graduates than the market could absorb. This led to widespread frustration and movements that played an important role in revolting against the British rulers.[Van Schendel 2009] The danger of student revolts seemed to be understood by the Pakistan Government. An example is the Teacher Student Centre that is said to be created as an exhaust for political anti-Pakistan movements. However TSC became a political hub and once again student movements played an important role in the independence process. [Rahman 2005a] INTERMINGLING STRUCTURES? One can argue that to fade the segregation between the students and government officials, the second tactic is a logical method. However the importance of entities that can form a counterweight for other power structures may not be underestimated in a society. By scattering the university facilities, the power of the university community will diminish strongly. Moreover, people have the need to identify themselves with smaller groups of society. A homogeneous society is not an ideal society. On the other hand if the situation remains as it is, a further polarization is most probable, ‘urban legends’ will amplify and an ‘island-society’ stimulated. After all, the students are the future leaders of the land and therefore a good understanding of all groups of society is essential.

SEGREGATION

THE MIDDLE PATH An intervention should respect and ensure the identity and sovereignty of the different groups. In that sense the local segregation has to be maintained. At the same time the segregation creates conflicts based on myths and an ‘island society’. Thus in that sense a design-intervention should try to fade the segregation. The main intention of a design should be to strengthen the links between the different groups, create stages for interaction and intertwine the groups without losing their identity and ‘individual’ power to claim their rights. Therefore it seems logical to smoothen the limits, both the fixed boundaries and the boundaries by use, to create better connections between the entities and institutions, and to somehow create a social platform that attracts people to come out of their cocoons. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND:HUMAN ECOLOGY Robert E. Park came up with the term human ecology, which borrowed concepts from the science of natural ecology. In his opinion segregation is a naturally grown process that leads towards the formation of ‘niches’. Any group in life-history incorporates elements of isolation and social contact. There has to be found a balance between these two elements for the health of society. Even though secrecy has a bad connotation, secrecy in a group protects it from disintegrating publicity and solidifies the bonds in the group. [Deegan 1990] and [Park, Burges 1921] The balance seems to be out of equilibrium in Ramna Area. The elements of isolation have the upper hand both in the niche’ of the students and the ‘niche’ of the government officials. To bring the balance into equilibrium social contact should be facilitated.

ACTORS AND PLAY_GENDER

In the historical point of view [see Booklet Introduction, History] the gender theme was solely shortly touched. However this is a theme not to overlook when dealing with public space in Bangladesh. Women are largely outnumbered by men in public life in Dhaka. [Van Schendel 2009] In Ramna this is also the case, although there is a noticeable higher number of women in public space then in most parts of Dhaka. GENDER POLARIZED LABOUR MARKET. The scheme of the user categories [See Booklet Ramna Area, Actors and Play, Types] can make someone think that the quantity of women and men in public space is almost equal. However this is not the case. This scheme clarifies that some categories and jobs are male polarized. Moreover women are outnumbered by men in every category. Especially the labour market of the poor is highly gender polarized. The bulk of the men work as rickshaw puller or have small informal businesses. Women are employed in the garment factories or the domestic sector. [Van Schendel 2009]

< First row, left to right: The woman is covered from head to tow with a burka - A poor woman dressed in a traditional sari with an uncovered back - Students in traditional clothes A student in front of TSC wearing tight jeans and a traditional shirt Second row, left to right: Girls and boys meeting at the TSC-node. Tight jeans, hair hanging loose and sunglasses The women zone at Ramna Park. The busiest moment has already passed Third row, left to right: A woman sitting alone on a bench is a rare view - A family visiting Ramna Park during a week afternoon - Couples sitting on benches on the lakeside in Ramna Park.

SEGREGATION

already more modern than old Dhaka in dress and religious formalities. [Siddiqui 1993] Ramna Area is part of New Dhaka and is dominated by a young and critical generation of students. This must be one of the reasons of the number of women in this zone and the tolerance that is present towards and between women. WOMEN IN BANGLADESH It is still a problem that women are a subordinated part of society, but over the years there is a development in a positive way of integrating women in social, educational and political life. The development goes from the equal voting right for men and women, a design of a school system that will increase girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; enrolment, health care support service to a greater control of income by women and so on. [Ahsan, Ahmad & Khatun 2005] In this respect, Ramna is one of the most developed places throughout the city for women. For example Ramna Park is provided by a women-zone that is intensively used. Despite of this fact, there are still places where women do rather not go or do not feel safe or even are not welcome.

VARIETY OF WOMEN, CULTURE VS RELIGION In Bangladesh, culture and religion have an interwoven nature but the fact that they are still not unified and separated from each other, makes a big variety of types of women. Especially in Ramna Area a great variety of women is seen. The appearance of the different women is an indication of the mixture of religion and culture. Most of the women wear a Shalwar Kameez, which is not related to any religion. It is worn throughout whole South Asia. There are women that wear a hijab or have a red dot on their forehead, which is a sign of their religion. However, not every woman wears Hijab or to use the red dot . This makes the determination difficult. Another example is the black dot that is applied into the corner of the forehead of the babies. This should protect them from evil. This is a Bangladeshi tradition that is applied by the women all over the country, regardless of their religion. In Ramna Area it is notable that the variety of women in a group was big and that Muslim, Hindu, Bangladeshi or Bengali were sitting together. It is important to keep in mind that New Dhaka is

WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE IN RAMNA AREA From a micro-geographical perspective there are remarkable nuances concerning the presence of women in Ramna Area as shown on the map. There are student residences and schools that are women restricted areas. In some zones the presence of women is remarkably higher then in other areas. These zones are labelled as ‘High’ and ‘Medium’ women presence. RAMNA PARK In the morning plenty of women come to Ramna Park to do some physical exercise and in the afternoon the benches are filled with couples or dating people. Now and then even small groups of women are chatting in the grass. At times -mostly at weekends- families can be spotted. A few floating women are always selling flowers on the side of the pavement. Women sitting alone on a bench is a very rare phenomenon. In the north-east of the park there is a ‘Women Zone’ marked by a paved area and a kiosk. A small sign at the entrance says ‘Women Zone’. During morning times this zone is intensively used for gymnastics by an exclusively female public. During the day however also men hang around in the ‘Women Zone’. SUHRAWARDI UDYAN The vast majority of women visiting Suhrwardi Udyan come in male company. Most of them are couples or on a date. Groups of exclusively women are very rare. FINE ARTS, TSC AND SHAHEED MINAR Regarding women presence in public space, two places stand out in Ramna Area: Fine Arts and TSC. Accidently or not, these are also two places that play a cultural pioneer role. On these places concerts, dance acts, art expositions and other cultural events are held and student organizations are located.

In the TSC building male and female students are sitting together in groups and on some moments there is a roughly equal quantity of each. On the TSC-Node women are -as in the rest of Ramna- most of the time outnumbered by men. However on some moments, especially during weekend afternoons, the proportion is approximately 1/3. On the Fine Arts site the situation is similar to TSC regarding the women presence. Here you also find an almost equal mixture of men and women. A remarkable aspect is the clothing style of women in Fine Arts and TSC. There are noticeable more women with tight jeans, hairs hanging loose and without any means to cover their hairs. They look to move more confident. Through the eyes of a Belgian observer these places look like the most ‘Western’ place concerning the gender issue. Finally also Shaheed Minar comes close to the women presence percentage of TSC and Fine Arts. This is also a cultural important place. Moreover it is an open and transparent place. This allows social control. At the same time couples are often spotted on the ‘shadowed’ wall on the border of the square. There they can escape from the focus of attention. FOREIGN PERSPECTIVE As already mentioned in the paragraph of ‘Limitations’ [see Booklet Introduction] it is difficult to observe Bangladeshi cultural stereotypes for someone from a foreign culture. Therefore it is difficult to differentiate a dating man and wife from a man and a sex worker. According to observations of Naher Ainoon [Ainoon 2012] Ramna and Suhrawardi Park are popular places for prostitution. Condoms on the ground of Suhrawardi Park testify plenty of sexual activity in this region.

ACTORS AND PLAY_GENDER

SEGREGATION

Department of Women Affairs Moghbazar Girls High School Viqarunnisa noon school and college

Ladies Club

Ramna Women Zone Fine Arts Rokeya Hall

TSC

Shamsunnahar Hall

Azimpur Girls High School

500m

Women’s Restricted

Women Zone

‘High’ Women Presence ‘Medium’ Women Presence Campus Area

^ Picture on a roof in Old Dhaka.

Based on map from ESRI [ESRI 2006]. The buildings are marked white and the open space grey.

Based on map from ESRI [ESRI 2006]. The buildings are marked grey and the open space white.

500m

ACTORS AND PLAY_OLD-NEW

THE OLD RAILWAY AS A CULTURAL BORDER The interviews also exposed the limited presence of people from Old Dhaka. Out of the 58 interviews we only found 3 people of Old Dhaka: 2 students and 1 day worker collecting grass for the cows of their boss in Old Dhaka. This is remarkable because Old Dhaka is adjacent to Ramna, it is one of the most dense city tissues in Dhaka and except for a few small squares there are no open spaces on the map. So, one would expect a high number of people from Old Dhaka. Contemplating the situation of Old Dhaka, there are some reasons to make this a logical situation: Because of the narrowness of the roads it is almost impossible to drive a car in Old Dhaka. Therefore even wealthy families do not own a car but get around by rickshaw. Their mobility is thus rather limited and this keeps them inside their enclave. Furthermore in Old Dhaka there is a tradition of ‘roof sharing’. Many roofs are connected and the difference in level is limited. When the sun goes down and the work is finished, families come together on the rooftops to have a cup of tea. In this sense all the built space actually is open space. When reversing the colour of built and unbuilt space Old Dhaka becomes the most open space. Therefore inhabitants of Old Dhaka don’t have such a need for open space. Concluding, the ‘Old Railway’ is not only a physical and morphological border -like already mentioned in the previous chapter- but also a cultural border. This is where Old Dhaka ends.

DHAKA SEGREGATION

NUANCES As shown in the previous chapter Ramna Main Stage is an intersection space for all kind of people from all kind of places. This gives Ramna a huge potential of being a catalyst in the society and intermingling different groups. However if the people of Old Dhaka are missing in this intersection space it can be understood as an interruption between Dhaka and its roots. Although the centre has shifted north with passing of time, Old Dhaka is the original centre of Dhaka and still fulfils an important role for the city. It is the ‘storage room’ where all the primary goods and food first arrive. Here, the atmosphere and way of living still reminds at the Dhaka of the Golden Era of the Mughal period. ‘The city of 52 lanes and 53 markets’. It would be a pity of losing connection with such an important city tissue. Therefore, it can be seen as another important design concern to use Ramna Area to reconnect with Old Dhaka. However the cultural border has to be nuanced because of the limited dimension of our interview investigation. Moreover the fact that there is no University in Old Dhaka obliges the ‘new’ generation to come outside of their enclave. For that reason, the link between Old Dhaka and Dhaka will automatically be tightened. Moreover the authentic atmosphere that is still present in Old Dhaka is partly because of the segregated status of Dhaka. It should definitely not lose it characteristics. Once again the ‘middle path’ [See Booklet Ramna Area, Local Segregation, Middle Path] seems to be the best option.

SEGREGATION IN RAMNA AREA Contemplating the situation in Ramna Area, the overall segregation grown over time is also present here. However, concerning some types of segregation nuances have to be made in the specific context of Ramna. Economical segregation: Rich - Poor. Although different groups act in the same space, Ramna does not escape from this type of segregation. Religious segregation: Hindu - Muslim. All kind of different celebrations of different religions seem to occur in harmony in Ramna area. This type of segregation is almost not present in Ramna. Military segregation: Militaries - Civilians. The military Cantonment is located far north of Ramna. Political segregation: Bengali - Bangladeshi. As shown in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Historyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Ramna can be read as a battlefield of opinions. Especially the struggle between the Bengali and Bangladeshi ideology is highly present in the street image and architecture of Ramna Area. Gender segregation: Men - Women. In Ramna there is a relatively high presence of women in public life. However public space is largely dominated by men. Cultural pioneer places and woman-restricted zones fulfil a catalyst function. Local segregation: Students-Government officials. The particular context of Ramna creates a specific local segregation. Students and government officials mainly stick to their limited habitats. Old-New Dhaka Segregation: Old Dhaka - New Dhaka. The old railway is not only a physical border but also a cultural border.

ACTORS AND PLAY_SEGREGATION

LIVING TOGETHER APART In ‘The Stage’ the importance of the Mainstage as intersection space for different kind of people from different places was pointed out. Therefore the Mainstage has a high potential of handling the segregation question. However different forms of segregation are present in Ramna. Many interviewed people stated that their social interaction was mainly limited to their own group. Observations indicated that the interaction between different groups is reduced to the solely functional ones like for example between vendors and clients. Moreover, observations and interviews confirmed the social disadvantaged positions of the lower rank of society. [Ainoon 2011] It seems like the historical grown corsage of social hierarchy bounds them to a specific social conduct. Even in an intersection space as Ramna Mainstage people look to be chained to ‘mental limits’. In Ramna Area as a whole, different groups of society are present. On a micro-geographical scale however every group claims its own place. The TSC-Node is emblematic for this statement: rickshaw pullers claim one side of the road, the CNG’s another, the students sit on the elevated plots and vendors crisscross to sell sweets and tea. They are in the same space but seem to act next to each other. Nothing standing in between them but a mental border. They are living together apart. Segregation is a deeply rooted social phenomenon that has an ambiguous relation with the physical world. Therefore, it is not an easy issue to handle with architecture. The next booklet points out how the design-intervention takes into account these considerations.

A PLACE FOR EXPRESSION The Mainstage is not only a place for political expression but also a place where actions occur that are not generally accepted by the society of Bangladesh. A distinction has to be made between illegal activities and matters solely not accepted by the society. Illegal activities: People sitting in small groups to smoke a joint, drug addicts hide behind a wall or tree, eve teasing (including sexual harassment and abuse of women) and robbery, are examples of activities that are forbidden by law. These are illegal activities. Many of these activities take place in parks and playgrounds all over of Dhaka. This is stated by A Shafi [A Shafi 2010] and confirmed by the field observations and interviews. Some activities are especially prominent after dark such as movements of those involved in sex business and drug peddlers. [A Shafi 2010] Activities not generally accepted by the society. Couples meet under the shadow of a tree or just on a bench, rumours go around about homosexual gatherings at night in the parks,... Together with the illegal activities the named events are not generally accepted by the society of Bangladesh. They are in a cultural-relativistic grey zone. [see NOTE] EXHAUST The Mainstage, especially its park zones, is a place where actions occur that are situated in the culturalrelativistic grey zone. Things that cannot just take place at home or in broad daylight in the middle of a street. In that sense the Mainstage is a place for individual expression. An exhaust for underlying streams. The illegal and socially not accepted phenomenons are staged by the particular scenery of the Mainstage. Low hanging trees, shadowed corners and walls cutting the vision, form the ideal scenery for activities that are wanted to happen in ‘secret’.

About the ethical significance of some of the named activities many pro’s and contra’s can be listed. Many activities are from a cultural relativistic perspective in the ethical grey-zone. However, about some events, like sexual harassment and snatching, there is no discussion possible. Neither in a Western context, nor in a Bangladeshi context. Therefore these are not just cultural-relativistic ‘wrong’ but universal ‘wrong’. These actions should be excluded. However -in our opinion- it is not the task of an architect to judge about ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. His task is limited to creating a scenery where dialogue about ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ could take place. Therefore a place where socially not accepted phenomenons can be expressed, is important. This ensures the respect for minorities. The exhaust-function of the parks in Ramna is a valuable quality. The scenery should permit theatre plays where everybody is permitted to express his opinion, with respect towards another. Including opinions that are not coinciding with the general thoughts. CONTRADICTION OR PARADOX? At first sight a scenery that stages the expression of actions in the cultural-relativistic grey zone, often also stages universal not accepted values like sexual harassment or robbery. The question whether this statement is a contradiction or a paradox, can only be answered by a design-proposal. However, a closer look at the events that take place in the ‘obscure’ zones hint that it is a ‘paradox’. Events that are in the cultural-relativistic grey zone in Bangladesh -like for example coupling- often occur during daytime in both relatively visible places , like benches, and places where the identity of the persons is covered, like under the shadow of small bushes. Activities that are in a cultural-relativistic darker zone, like the smoking of marihuana, also take place during daytime but only in covered places, like

NOTE: CULTURAL RELATIVITY Values and norms are cultural dependent. Therefor ‘good’ or ‘wrong’ are not just always universal values but can differ depending from the cultural point of view. A value that is neither generally accepted nor rejected in one culture, is located in a cultural-relativistic grey zone. But, this same value can be totally rejected in another culture. From the point of view from the latter culture, it is situated in a cultural-relativistic black zone.

ACTORS AND PLAY_EXPRESSION

closely packed trees or behind a wall. Activities that are clearly in the cultural relativistic black zone -like sexual abuse- take place when it is dark and/or where is no social control. At night Suhrawardi Udyan is very ill-enlightened. The zones that are provided by light from the mobile stands, the enlightened theatre and the benches -poorly- enlightened by a few spots, are intensively used. The obscure southeast corner of the park -no man’s land- is claimed to be a dangerous zone by most people and is an avoided area. The insight in this nuances shows that a scenery that includes individual expression and excludes clear-cut not tolerable actions, can be created and therefor the previous statement is a paradox.

Suhrawardi Udyan is often described as a place full of dangerous criminals. These charged terms have to be nuanced. Criminality is also a cultural-relativistic term. It even is a personal-relativistic term. For some people a couple walking hand in hand and students having a joint, is not acceptable and labelled as a ‘criminal’ act. For others the ethical limits are different. A REMARKABLE OBSERVATION Contemplating the statement that the actors in Ramna Area are ‘living together apart’ [See previous page] and the theoretical insights about ‘niches’ of Robert E. PARK, a peculiar observation is worth zooming in. In the north or Ramna Area small groups composed of different ‘stereotypes’ often gather. The different people in the groups match with the stereotype of students, middle-class workmen and floating people. Some of them are just relaxing in the grass, many are smoking marihuana. This area is characterized by trees, bushes and a dominant wall that cuts this zone from the rest of the park. It is one of the rare cases were different types of actors are spotted sitting in the same group and interacting. They seem to transcend the mental limits.

^ A couple sitting in the shadow of a tree in Ramna Park.

CRIMINALITY? Although the rumours about insecurity are not just out of thin air [A Shafi 2010], the general insecurity feeling that most interviewed people claim to feel can be questioned. Many who claim that Suhrawardi Udyan is insecure or violent even have never been there and base their opinion on someone else’s opinion. Therefore the insecurity feeling increases and starts to lead its own live: an urban legend is born.

^ Students, middle-class workmen and floating people mixed in the same group in the northern part of Suhrawardi Udyan. The wall on the right cuts the view from the rest of the park.

After being introduced to the Mainstage, the stage and its actors, the focus lies on the scenery. Notwithstanding that in such an ever-changing landscape as Dhaka the architecture is not the ‘spectacle’ of the city nor does it even comprise the single dominant image of the city [Mehrotra n.d.] the focus in ‘Scenery and Play’ is on the built space. Ramna Area is divided into six zones, each zone is characterised with its specific buildings. The zones are Cultural Belt, Park Zone, Court Zone, ‘Democratic’ Zone, Campus Area and Others. The first two mentioned zones form the Main Stage. Each relevant building in these zones is discussed. Not only the architecture is highlighted but also the connection between the scenery and the actors will be investigated. Therefore the choice of the name is not only ‘scenery’ but is ‘scenery and play’.

THE STAGE

ACTORS AND PLAY

SCENERY AND PLAY CULTURAL BELT PARK ZONE FESTIVITIES COURT ZONE ‘DEMOCRATIC’ ZONE CAMPUS AREA OTHERS

ZONING OF RAMNA AREA

Cultural Belt

Park Zone

Court Zone

‘Democratic’ Zone

Campus Area

Others

500m

CULTURAL BELT In the first part of the 20th century, many institutes settled in Ramna Area. The presence of the institutes and the large chunk of green -Ramna Park and Suhrawardi Udyan- mixed with the historical and political importance ensures the ever growing interest of the whole region and made it the heart of Dhaka. The Cultural Belt is composed of a hodgepodge of monuments, buildings and objects that are contributing to the cultural importance of the area. The presence of these buildings and objects with cultural value play a vital role in the vibrant life of Ramna Area. For example, institutes like Fine Arts often hold exhibitions or provide performances. On extraordinary days, TSC, Bangla Academy, Fine Arts Institute etc. play a crucial role in facilitating all 0 kind of celebrations. The Banyan Tree is from great importance on a day like Bangla New Year but also keeps the memory alive during the year. The Cultural Belt is part of the Main Stage of Ramna Area. 69

500m

CULTURAL BELT

National Museum Shishu Park Public Library Fine Arts Institute

Banyan Tree

Tomb of Kazi Nazrul Islam Banghabandhu Museum Shilpakala Academy Institute of Engineers

Dhaka University Library

Amphitheatre Teacher Student Centre Kali Mandir (Hindu Temple)

Bangla Academy Liberation War Museum

Mausoleum of Three Leaders

Shaheed Minar

500m

CULTURAL BELT_

THE HEART OF THE CAMPUS AREA. The Teacher Student Centre - better known as TSC - is designed by the Greek architect Constantinos Doxiadis. He was brought to Dhaka by Mazhurul Islam, the famous Bangladeshi architect of the Fine Arts Institute [World News Inc 2012]. TSC was built during the Pakistan period as a part of Dhaka University. The grounds where TSC is situated used to be part of ‘Sujatpur Palace’. This is the oldest Nawab Mansion in the Shahbagh area.

100m

In the middle of the grass field on the east there is a Greek mausoleum which is the last reminder of a small Greek community that used to live in Dhaka in the 19th century. The TSC plays an important role as a meeting point for the campus area, for students and teachers and for the different faculties. There is a cafeteria, auditorium, library, reading room, concert room, swimming pool that is not functioning and a bookshop. TSC houses a lot of student organizations. It is the sociocultural heart of the campus area [Rahman 2005b]. BENGALI MODERNISM Doxiadis was well aware of the local climate and culture. That you can see in his design. The parasol roof keeps the building cool and in the floor plan logics one finds the traditional court organization. He uses perforated walls to create and separate spaces. Just like the Fine Arts building of Muzharul Islam, TSC combines modern and local architecture. So in this way you can categorize this building under Bengali Modernism.

TSC

TSC AS AN EXHAUST TSC was built in 1961. These were times of political contestation and growing resistance against the Pakistan Government. Especially the students and intellectuals of Dhaka University were politically active against the Pakistani government. This was expressed in several manifestations and student organizations. Many of them supported the Language Movement. At first sight it seems strange that the order to build TSC was given during the Pakistan period because TSC staged anti-Pakistan student gatherings and important political meetings during the Liberation War. A logical explanation is that the idea of the Pakistan Government was to canalize the ‘negative’ energy of the students into non-political events like concerts and other cultural gatherings. However things didn’t turn out as originally planned. The meant outlet for anti-Pakistan energy turned into a political gravity point and a catalyst for pro-Bengali nationalist feelings. [Rahman 2005b] Today TSC still is a place for political debate. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL GRADE? The TSC building is a well functioning place and almost at its maximum capacity. The maintenance of the place should be improved but this is more a problem caused by bad management then by architecture. One can question the need for a swimming pool. But then again, a swimming pool that is not maintained will not function anywhere in the world. One aspect that is left for improvement is the closed fence on the east. This fence cuts the grass square completely from the street and the space in front is always empty.

<First row: A rock recital at the concert room [Mumit M.] - The ill maintained swimming pool Second row: The corridor is used as an exposition space - Management students organize a workshop on the inner court - Parasol roof Third row: TSC as seen from the parking space in front of the building

CULTURAL BELT_TSC-NODE

<First row: Boy and girl students meeting at the platform on the TSC-node - The parking in front of TSC is stuffed with students who want to catch a glimpse of a football match projected on a big screen . Second row: A rickshaw puller quenches thirst at the public water tap - TSC-node is a good place for snack vendors - On busy moments different users complicate the circulation. Third row: The elevated roundabout sometimes stages cultural events and political discourses - These events make the circulation even more complicated. An overview of TSC-node.

The TSC-Node is characterized by the elevated roundabout with the ‘Raju’ sculpture, a triangle formed platform with a small cafeteria, the entrance to the Suhrawardi Udyan Park and a semicircular platform in front of the TSC building that sometimes stages mass gatherings for special occasions. The ‘Raju’ sculpture of Shaymol Chowdhury is the focal point of the TSC node. The board in front of the statue says ‘Shontrash Birodhi Raju Sharokh Bhaskarjya’ which means ‘Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture’. It was built in the late 90’s to honour a student who was killed during a protest against campus violence. A frequent phenomenon in Dhaka.

TSC-NODE_CULTURAL BELT Weekday observations

MORNING SLEEP 6h30 am. TSC-node is sleeping. The policemen sleep in their van, the rickshaw pullers in their rickshaw, for some floating people there is nothing left but the roundabout. Only the coco vendors are awake. They already went to the market to buy their stuff. Some earlymorning sporters enjoy their fresh coco juice.

500m

QUIET BEFORE THE STORM No more floating people on the roundabout. The rickshaw pullers left to find some customers. The policemen are keeping an eye on TSC-node from their van. Not much to keep an eye on. One of them stretches his legs outside the van. The vendors are waiting for customers. A policeman buys a banana. Not much to do. Now and then a car passes. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not clear to me if Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m watching a roundabout in the centre of a 15 million people metropolis or in a small countryside village...

LUNCH TIME! The storm has arrived. TSC is the perfect place to enjoy a cheap meal and have a cup of cha-tea. The cafeteria inside the TSC-building, the triangle in front of the building, the benches at the entrance to Suhrawardi and the open square next to the library are stuffed with chitchatting students and couples. The rickshaws are claiming the street in front of the entrance to Suhrawardi. The CNG’s on the other side. Honking and shouting. Jangling rickshaws. TSC-node is busy!

AFTERNOON HANGING The peak moment has passed but the node is still active. Some students went back to classes, others are class-free or just skip classes to hang around all afternoon at TSC-node. Under the pergola of the TSC-building people are busy finishing school work on their laptops or just rattling and discussing. We notice some female students wearing tight jeans and having their hair hanging loose, sunglasses on, shouting and giggling loud,… Western lifestyle seems to have found its way all the way to this spot.

TSC-CAFE TSC has never been more crowded. Free bench spots are precious goods. Honking CNG’s, jangling rickshaws, breaking and bumping cars, people crisscrossing the road,… not the best ingredients to have a nice evening someone of Belgium would say, but somehow this place attracts plenty of students from all over the campus area at evening time. Somehow there is a kind of cosy cafe/festival atmosphere in the middle of this chaos. ‘One of the best places to hang around’ a student tells me. ‘One of the best or best of the worst?’ I ask myself.

TSC-NODE_CULTURAL BELT Weekend observations

AFTERNOON HANGING² During the morning the impression of a weekday and a weekend day is quite similar. In a weekend afternoon however TSC-node is much more crowded than during a weekday. I see more or less the same kind of people occupying the same spots but in the weekend the number has multiplied. The bulk of the people are still students. I mark plenty of men and women sitting next to each other. A girl is sitting alone and checks her watch every five minutes. It seems like the weekend afternoon is dating time.

500m

TSC-CAFE² I search for a place to note down an impression but I can’t find any free spot. Crossing the road is almost not an option although the Bengalis don’t seem to care about the reckless drivers. Dhaka is bursting at its limits!

CULTURAL BELT_TSC-NODE

SMALL INTERVENTION, BIG CONSEQUENCES The atmosphere at TSC-node depends on the time of the day. At some moments like during lunch time or the evening it is a very busy place. Why is this node attracting so many people? Is this because of its ‘nice characteristics’ or because people can go nowhere else? The best of the worst? The answer is in the middle. On traffic peak hours it is almost impossible to cross the road. Exhaust gasses, honking car horns and constant rankling bells don’t make this an attractive place. Nevertheless every square meter is filled with people. Interviews of the users make clear that they would like a different atmosphere but that TSC is one of the few gathering places. Best of the worst. Contemplating the situation at TSC, it has all the qualities to make it a pleasant vibrant social meeting place. Today it already is a social meeting place but this is rather because there are no real alternatives. A simple act as making the roads car free can already be enough to create a more enjoyable place and to fully use the potential of this place.

BURSTING AT THE LIMITS During afternoons and evening times, most of all during the weekends, TSC-node is bursting of people. It is clear that this place is overcrowded on such moments and this reveals the need for a bigger capacity. A logical step seems to be to expand, intensify or mulitply places like TSC. The prospect of a growing city population enforces this idea. CULTURAL PIONEER TSC is one of the very few places in Dhaka where at some moments you can even see almost an equal amount of women and men. Many of the women, mainly students, are dressed in jeans and wear their hairs loose without any covering. At first sight they move confident without fear and you often hear loud giggling women voices. TSC is one of the most ‘Western’ places of Dhaka. It plays a cultural pioneer role in Dhaka and this seems to come along with more women in public space.

Emblematic is the use of the roundabout. The platform is often used for concerts and conferences. Taking away the heavy traffic would make these kinds of events a lot more agreeable and easier to organize.

Shahbag-Node

Museum

Cafeteria

Auditorium Library

0 Police Station

[Fieldwork2 2011] Police Station

15m Museum

Front Yard

Public Road

Front Yard

Library/Passage

30m

15m Backyard

< The section through the premises of the Public Library uncovers the presence of an accessible and valuable backyard that attracts specific users. Once you have passed the library building the noise of the traffic languishes and the shadows, provided by the trees, give the surprising impression of being outside the city centre. The presence of the amphitheatre and the cafeteria charges the backyard even more. This is in great contrast with the premises of the National Museum, which is lacking a backyard and therefore only attracts a general group of users.

SCENERY AND PLAY_CULTURAL

NATIONAL MUSEUM Bangladesh National Museum originally started in a single room in 1913 and over the decades it increased in size until the museum became one of the largest museums in South Asia. However, the original glory of the building has vanished and has nowadays turned into an old-fashioned and even dilapidated building.

^ The cafeteria on the premises of the Public Library is doing good business. A terrace gives the opportunity to the consumers to have a drink in the sunshine.

Worldwide the national museum is a prestigious institution and that shows off to the (inter)national public. After chasing away the Pakistan army, Bangladesh considered it to be a prime necessity to upgrade the museum. For Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman personally attached considerable importance to the upgrading of the National Museum. He was one of the leading figures in the fight for independence and was strongly opposed to the Pakistani dominance. Actually Bangabandhu used the museum as a tool to glorify his party, the Awami League, and the Bengali history. At the same time he took the opportunity to put the Pakistan people in a bad light. He wanted his countrymen to know ‘the true history of the struggle of the Bengalis,’ as he told them ‘the time has come when our younger generation should know the actual history of the past sacrifices and resistance movements.’ [Bangladesh National Museum 2011]

BELT

PUBLIC LIBRARY In 1978 the Public Library relocated to its present building near the Shahbag-Node. Its prior building went on to house the Dhaka University Central Library. [Central Public Library Dhaka 2009] The premises of the Public Library not only house the library, but on top of that an auditorium and a cafeteria. By combining different functions close to each other the place is used more intensively. Apart from storing and exhibiting books the Public Library building also houses the Library Training Institute, a reprography service and an in-house bindery. In the auditorium of the library important cultural events are organised, even with international status. On the grounds of the library there is also a cafeteria which provides local food to the visitors of the library at moderate prices. [Fieldwork 1] In comparison with the National Museum the Public Library is better accommodated. The National Museum has a lot of outdoor space that are unused, on the contrary the Public Library is saturated with buildings. An additional building on the premises of the Public Library would harm the harmony of this place. As a conclusion you can state that the Public Library uses almost all its potential.

At the entrance of the museum remarkably a lot of families were noticed. Overall, they wore posh clothes and took the time to enjoy the day and visit the museum. Their composure was in contrast with the tangle of everyday life in Ramna Area. [Fieldwork 1] The National Museum provides only one function and therefore is not used as intensively as it could be with regards to its notable location and the vast green gardens surrounding the building. Especially after office hours the building and its surroundings evoke a desolate atmosphere because the whole area is shut off.

Tomb of Kazi Narrul Islam

Suhrawardi Udyan

Dhaka University Library

TSC-Node

30m

^The panorama shows the intensive use of the front yard of Dhaka University Library. Notably a vendor has set up a permanent stall on the premises of Dhaka University. By taking a closer look, it is possible to notice a part of the facade of the library emerging between the leaves of the trees on the background of the panorama. All students, female students too, feel comfortable in this area. They can chitchat with peers on the improvised benches and are secluded from the public on the streets. If the fences disappeared, would it still function as well as nowadays?

^ The arrow indicates the potential flow of students from the other premises of Dhaka University to Suhrawardi Udyan. Due to various factors, like the imagined belief of insecurity and fear for Suhrawardi Udyan, the students confine themselves to the territory of Suhrawardi Udyan.

SCENERY AND PLAY_CULTURAL

TOMB OF KAZI NAZRUL ISLAM

^ The gateway of the tomb of Kazi Nazrul Islam is not just a gate, but is also an architectural gesture. This is mainly due to the construction, namely a concrete roof that is supported by four ‘wooden’ blocks. Actually the ‘wooden’ blocks consist of steel pillars on the corners and in between the pillars vertical wooden boarding give the finishing touch. The inventive blocks, don’t only create separation from the road, but they also stock material for maintenance, contain toilets and provide a desk for the guards. [Khan 2011]

BELT

DHAKA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

Kazi Nazrul Islam is the national poet of Bangladesh. His poetry and activism moved the whole nation and therefore he was given the popular title of ‘Rebel Poet’. His writings were quoted during the Language Movement and that gives away its adherence to the line of thinking of the Bengalis. In his point of view the vernacular is essential to national progress and free expression ought to happen only in the mother language. [See Booklet Introduction, Recent History] The anniversary of the birth of Kazi Nazrul Islam is celebrated by the nation with great respect. His tomb is on that occasion stuffed with flowers by the people. This indicates the significance of the Rebel Poet in the society of Bangladesh. [Islam et al. 2011]

The Dhaka University Library comprises of three buildings: the administrative building, the main library building and the science library building. [University of Dhaka 2009] Architect Muzarul Islam originally designed the main library building with an open floor plan. Later adjustments filled up the ground plan in order to enlarge the capacity of the main library building. [Khan 2011] Undoubtedly these short-sighted interventions took away a lot of charm of the place. The main library building could have acted as a gateway for the students of Dhaka University who wanted to spend some time in Suhrawardi Udyan. Decision makers have let this opportunity slip away.

Even though the tomb is accommodated with an inviting gateway, the tomb languishes between the other institutes and the dense traffic road. The same road is name after him, namely the Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue. Especially the dense traffic road nullifies the gesture of the welcoming architectural gateway and hinders the visitors. The territory is fenced all around and guards man the gateway all the time. Rarely, a great number of visitors have been spotted. Now it functions as a separate identity without any relationship to the surroundings. If the monument would be better integrated in the environment and while keeping its intimate character, the monument will suit better its purpose as a quiet space for contemplation and remembrance.

When the lessons end, the students postpone their return home and by hanging around in the green area surrounding the Dhaka University Library. The vendors sell them all kind of drinks and food. The omnipresence of shade and the availability of benches attracts both male and female students. The role of the Dhaka University Library as a gateway can be exploited more, for example by returning to the original plan of Mazarul Islam and this implies opening up the ground floor again. Smaller interventions like removing the abundance of fences can also contribute to a better relationship between Dhaka University and Suhrawardi Udyan. Hopefully this will break the urge of the students to confine themselves to the premises of Dhaka University.

< Burwan House where Bangla Academy currently is located.

Already in the early 1920â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there was a need to give importance to the Bangla language. In the year 1948 there was a proposal for the establishment of a language academy and because of the events on 21 February 1952 the demand for establishing a centre like Bangla Academy became stronger. Bangla Academy was founded on the third of December 1955 as an outcome of the language movement. [See Booklet History, Language movement] It is located at the Burwan House, a former official residence of the chief minister of the British Empire. The foundation was a recognition of significance of Bangla as the mother tongue of the people of the former East Pakistan. Even till now, it is one of the symbols of the movement and the Bengali nationalism. The main function of Bangla Academy is the promotion, development and modernisation of the Bangla-language. Research and publications on Bangla language and literature are part of their occupation but it also publishes books, dictionaries and papers. [Helal 2006]

Adjacent Street

Statue

Pond

Burdwan House

Terrace (New Building)

New Building

CULTURAL BELT _

BANGLA ACADEMY

culture and environment. In the future, the different accommodations will lure more and more people, the stairs and the terrace will be used as a gathering space and the auditorium for cultural purposes. [Khan

> The New unfinished building with the pond in front of it. Nowadays the place is deserted. > The discrete or unnoted gate to enter the Bangla Academy plot.

2011]

NEW BANGLA ACADEMY BUILDING The site of Bangla Academy offers more than just one building. It has a big green garden with a statue and a pond. The most important is the new building that is being completed, designed by architect Nurur Rahman Khan. The new building will accommodate some offices, a new library, an auditorium and a terrace. The pond is located in front of this new building and is provided with stairs to sit at the side. The purpose of this building is to charge the site. The whole building is designed in a way that it would not interfere with the existing environment but collaborate with. The terrace is provided with a funnel that will be working when it rains. The funnel is directed towards the pond beneath. The structure of the building is an open structure and is placed in such a way that the sun cannot heat up the inside spaces. There is also a natural ventilation system applied. This attempt was based on the underlying idea of architecture of the Fine Arts Institute Building. The architect tried to make a building respecting the local

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE In the month of February the Book Fair [See Booklet Ramna Area, Celebrations of Festivals, Book Fair] takes place in front of the Bangla Academy Building and the adjacent street. The garden of Bangla Academy has the potential to take in the amount of visitors. It is a big open space. It is noticeable that during the year this big open space is often empty. The Bangla Academy complex is a good example of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the memory association in place makingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that is discussed by professor Qazi Azizul Mowla. [Mowla 2006] A person who does not know Ramna Area does not see the significance of Bangla Academy. The building cannot be seen from the street. The citizens of Dhaka consider this as a complex of great value. The consideration probably has to do with the memory association of the festivities according to the Book Fair. Only because of the fact that the Book Fair takes place in the complex every year, Dhaka citizens know the place and feel a connection. The way a Dhaka citizen looks at Bangla Academy Complex is different than the way an outsider does. [Fieldwork2] Despite the importance, the citizens ascribe to Bangla Academy, the potential of the plot is under- or unused which will change with the inauguration of the new building.

CULTURAL BELT_

RARE SPECIE Shishu Park is the only city amusement park organised by the government in Dhaka. Even though the children park is a profit making undertaking, the park is still the cheapest of all entertainment parks in Dhaka, charging 8 Bangladeshi Taka (0,08 Euro) for entry and 6 Bangladeshi Taka (0,06 Euro) for each ride. During the Eid, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the number of visitors is multiple times higher than on normal weekdays. [See Booklet Ramna Area, Celebration of Festivals] [Rahman 2005a]

HARD TIMES The park welcomed a lot of visitors in the 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and 90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of the previous century, unfortunately, there was a reverse side to the medal: the amusement rides were run-down and replacement was necessary. Recent aid from Japan was on the way to modernise Shishu Park, but plans have been postponed and nowadays the focus is on maintenance of the old rides. [The Daily Star 2003] With the emergence of private commercial wonderlands with new exciting rides in places such as Gulshan, attraction of Ramna Shishu Park is losing fast. Except on Fridays and holidays, the park is almost empty. [Rahman 2005a] POOR The amusement offered by the park is warmly welcomed by the poorer section of the city as they cannot afford to visit the costly theme parks. On Wednesdays the park is exclusively open for street children. [The Daily Star 2003] This is quite a remarkable gesture by the government. Some say this is a measure to gain votes, nevertheless the few poor children who are able to reach the children park will not hesitate to enter and enjoy themselves. [Zahirudding 2011]

< First row: Publicity panels at Shahbag-Node - Ferris wheel Second row: Amusement train Payment of entrance fee to enter Shishu Park - Fences between Shishu Park and Suhrawardi Udyan Third row: Small child longing for a ride - Food stalls in front of Shishu Park.

SHISHU PARK

NO ALTERNATIVE Shishu Park attracts especially young families and therefore the presence of women and men is in equilibrium. Suhrawardi Udyan is not accommodated for children, so the few families that reside in the Ramna Area resort to Shishu Park. Another alternative for young families is the fenced children area in Ramna Park. This park is much smaller in size and is completely free. On the other hand the fenced children park has less interesting attractions to offer. POLITICAL STRUGGLE The park is built by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to counter the attention the Awami League got for the victory over West-Pakistan. Somewhere in Shishu Park Sheikh Mujibur Rahman held his famous speech on 7 March 1971 declaring an independent Bangladesh. So by constructing the park the BNP tried to wipe out this episode from the memory of the Bangladeshi people. In that way the history of the place is trivialized. [The Daily Sun 2011] ON SECOND THOUGHT Overall, Shishu Park seems to work quite well, mainly due to the lack of alternatives in the surroundings. Nevertheless the park can be criticized for a number of reasons. Even though the entry prices are modest, a few people will certainly think twice before entering the children park. They might have a moral difficulty with paying an entrance fee, independent from the quantity. As a consequence the park misses potential users. Another element is the bad accessibility. The park is surrounded by dense traffic roads [See Booklet Public Space, Streets] and parking spaces are missing. So it takes a lot of effort the get to the park with small children. Nowadays Suhrawardi Udyan and Ramna Park are two separate identities without any relationship. They are separated by fences. Both types of public space can be complementary with each other, but unfortunately now they have turned their back to each other. A final element to highlight is the hidden location of the park. The dominating publicity panels and the police thana force Shishu Park and Suhrawardi Udyan in the background. It is an understatement to say that the entrances of both parks are not inviting. 86

CULTURAL BELT_

DESIGN COMPETITION The museum is a national monument still under construction remembering the fight for independence from Pakistan in 1971. In 1997, during the reign of Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the daughter of the renowned Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and head of the Awami League the decision was made to launch an open design competition for the Liberation War Museum. Different applicants sent in their designs and finally the design by the architects Marina Tabassum and Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury was selected. They convinced the jury by the cooperative design because it not only remembered the great loss of compatriots in their struggle for an own country but also celebrated the victory over the Pakistan army. [Chowdhury 2011] BIG PICTURE The museum is the masterpiece of a bigger design strategy that redesigned the whole of Suhrawardi Udyan. Additional elements to the design are a big rectangular water body, an elliptic pathway and the Plaza of Independence on the roof of the museum itself. Inside the elliptic pathway the designers had the intention to clear all the trees and outside the pathway new walkways, benches and lighting ought to improve the circulation in outskirts of the park.

< First row: Empty Plaza of Independence - Side view of Liberation War Museum: terra cotta art work on the wall Second row: Nearby square with in the middle Eternal Flame - Guard keeping an eye on things Third row: Big imposing picture of Bangabandhu famous speech inside the museum - Couples relaxing behind big wall of museum.

PARK CHARACTER The monument is situated completely beneath the ground level and therefore the visitors can search cooling away from the uncomfortable outdoor temperatures. By tucking away the monument, the character of open space in Suhrawardi Udyan could be guaranteed. That is an important feature according to the architects Marina Tabassum and Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury. Before the real estate market completely changed the view of Ramna Area in the 1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and reshaped it into a concrete jungle, the place was known for its gardens and vast open spaces. By this design the architects wanted to safeguard one of the last open spaces in Ramna Area.

LIBERATION WAR MUSEUM

For some people, like the chief architect of the government of Bangladesh Shah Alam Zahiruddin, even this intervention is going too far. He thinks that the design of the Plaza of Independence is too defined. He prefers a natural, free park without any architectural intervention. UNIVERSAL SIGNIFICANCE When the complex will be finished, it will incorporate also a universal significance. At the most prominent spot of the Plaza of Independence a Light Tower will be built. Currently a temporary tower of a smaller scale is erected nearby the water body in Suhrawardi Udyan as an experiment. Eventually the final tower will be about 50 meters high and will be visible from all around Suhrawardi Udyan. The Light Tower will function as a focal point throughout the whole park and will be omnipresent from wherever you are. The Light Tower symbolises freedom which is an universal right for any world citizen. Freedom is also independent from political viewpoints, a quite important remark keeping in mind that the construction of the museum keeps on dragging along precisely due to political disagreements. It should not surprise that the light tower is a thorn in the eye of architect Shah Alam Zahiruddin. In his opinion there are already enough high rise buildings and lights in the city, so why should bringing the city into the park? He is a proponent to foster the green character. [Chowdhury 2011]

CULTURAL BELT_

NATIONAL MONUMENT? Even until the present day the two biggest parties in Bangladesh counteract each other. While construction started in 1998, it is still not finished 14 years later. The dragging along of the construction of the Liberation War Museum is indicative for the political tug-of-war between the Awami League and BNP. BNP presumes the museum especially focuses on the role of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the Liberation War. Actually the motivation for the construction of the museum is threefold. Firstly, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman held his famous speech in Suhrawardi Udyan on 7 March 1971, secondly the Pakistan army resigned on 16 December of that same year and finally the prime minister of India Indira Gandhi speeched during a mammoth public meeting on 17 March 1972. [Zahirudding 2011] [Chowdhury 2011] Architect Shah Alam Zahiruddin had another opinion about the urge for a monument in Suhrawardi Udyan. He put the three events into perspective. The former chief architect of the government noticed that the stated events were solely ceremonial and mentioned by figure of speech that the last bullet of the war was not fired in Suhrawardi Udyan, merely a formal piece of paper was signed in here. Along the same line of reasoning he pleaded for a small symbolic monument instead of a big gesture.

LIBERATION WAR MUSEUM

REDUNDANT MEASURE In fact the foundation of the museum is a redundant measure, because a small museum also dedicated to the War of Liberation was opened in 1996 in Segunbagicha, a neighbourhood on the western side of Ramna. The small museum is stuffed with over 10,000 artefacts linked to the war. How is it possible that two museums with a similar theme are separated from each other by only one kilometre? When the idea came up to establish a museum in Suhrawardi Udyan the government of Bangladesh, led by the Awami League, proposed the management of the small museum to relocate. The small museum kindly refused this proposal. The small museum was attached to its independent status and did not want to be subject to political interference. Their main goal was and still is to tell an objective history. They rejected to get trapped into a one-sided vision about the war that would focus on the famous speech of Bangabandhu. [Chowdhury 2011]

< First row: Waterfall in the middle of the museum - Amphitheatre - Relaxing couples and playing children at the border of the water body Second row: Patrolling guards and playing youth on other side of the wall Third row: Picture of rifle: symbol of victory in Liberation War [Tabassum 2011] - Inside view of the museum.

Eternal Flame

Concrete Wall Plaza Water Body

Light Tower Elliptical Pathway Pond

100m

Section A-A’

B’ B

40m A’ ^ The two arrows on the map point out that the concrete wall allows two different uses on each side of the wall. For example, a group of loudmouthed youth playing football on the east side of the wall does not disturb couples enjoying the sunset on the west side of the wall. Due to the pond, the water body, the walkways and the heightened plaza the variety of uses is numerous like shown on the bottom section. The upper section indicates the prominent role the light tower will play in Suhrawardi Udyan.

Section B-B’

25m

CULTURAL BELT_

MODERN LOOK Judging only pictures from inside the museum, it seems like a museum form somewhere in Europe The architecture looks astonishingly modern with an interior completely made out of in situ concrete and impressive double high spaces ideal to serve as exposition spaces for a museum. The museum The wide span of the rooms indicate that the building technique in Bangladesh is not inferior to that in Europe. This is a break in style with the newly defined architecture of Bangladesh of Muzharul Islam with buildings like the Fine Arts Institute. Even though architects Chowdhury and Tabassum implemented a different formal language, they did not lose sight of the rich history of Bangladesh that is strongly linked to elements like water. Not without reason the architects of the Liberation War Museum centred the whole museum on a waterfall coming down from the pond on the plaza. SHORTCOMINGS The entire building is made out of concrete, more in specific the roof, the walls and the floor and consequently the falling water causes bad acoustics in the building. The problem was not limited to the relevant space, but almost the whole complex was affected by the improvident design of the waterfall, because the central spaces were not separated from each other by doors. When eventually, the Plaza of Independence will be made public, it is doubtful it will welcome a lot of users during the day. The coating with white stone on the plaza reflects too much and hurts the eyes. Observations have pointed out that the central portion of Suhrawardi Udyan, the area inside the elliptic pathway and the plaza, provides far too little shelter for the sun. As a consequence the influx of people will get into gear after sunset and the potential of the place is partially spilled.

LIBERATION WAR MUSEUM

DAILY AND EXTRA-ORDINARY An interesting feature of the plaza is the double high concrete wall on the western side. The wall is covered with an impressive art work made in terra cotta. The art work tells the history of Bangladesh on the basis of sculptures. [Chowdhury 2011] The observations pointed out that Suhrawardi Udyan attracts people from the local scale of Ramna, as well as people from the city of Dhaka. Even people from all around Bangladesh visit the park. [See Booklet Introduction, Mainstage] In order to please the purpose of the visit of each user, the designers had to be inventive. The concrete wall allows different uses on each side of the wall. The daily recreational sport participants on one side do not jeopardize people commemorating the Liberation War. Besides the concrete wall the surrounding water body, the hardened walkways and the rectangular plaza allow a variety of uses by creating distances and different levels. All these elements contribute to a coexistence of the daily and extra-ordinary without bothering one another. The use of Suhrawardi alternates during the day. Especially in the weekends, young men play cricket or football on the grass area inside the elliptic pathway. During twilight the edge of the water body is an attractor of couples, each occupying a bench. BRIGHT FUTURE? The central location of the complex in Suhrawardi Udyan and its function as national museum, dedicated to the Liberation War, should unite the population of Bangladesh instead of being subject to competing political parties. Leaving out of account architectural taste, the completion of the museum embodies a place where various people get acquainted, independent from their social, economical, religious background. The Plaza of Independence can even function as a stage for political engagement [See Booklet Public Space, Defining Public Space, Zooming out] but unfortunately the politicians hold the cards.

SHILPAKALA ACADEMY Not only the Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University identifies itself with art. The Shilpakala academy is the national academy of fine arts and performing arts. It is a national institution and is administered by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. This academy incorporates not only an importance in the Ramna Area of Dhaka, it have been set up in almost all districts of Bangladesh. The principal objectives of the academy are presenting the culture of Bangladesh and the promotion of fine arts, music, dance and drama. The academy provides the visitors and students many activities. It focuses on art and every thing that has to do with it but it is also a cultural forum. It provides different performances, festivals, exhibitions, conferences etc. It lures people with these cultural activities and brings them together. [Mohanta 2006]

In between the two buildings of the Shilpakala Academy, a big chunk of green open space is located. Because of the dilapidation, unfortunately the open space is not used as it potentially could be. It is even not used at all.

IEB The Institution of Engineers (IEB) is established in Dhaka in 1948 as an association of engineers. It started as the ‘Institution of Engineers, Pakistan’ but became already in 1972, after the Liberation War [See Booklet History, Liberation War], the ‘Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh’. The institute is internationally known and is member of international organisations of engineers. The importance of IEB goes far beyond the borders of Ramna Area. It organises training courses, research, seminars and conventions. In the meantime it also publishes journals, periodical and newsletters. One of its most important functions is the set-up of a specially designed engineering course and an examination for the trainees. After passing the examination, a certificate is distributed, this is recognised by public and private sector organisations in the country and equivalent to a formal degree in engineering. IEB is included in the Cultural Belt because of the contribution of the student to the environment of Ramna Area. From time to time there are demonstrations, festivals or music concerts being held. Next to the fact that this is an engineering institution, this place is intensively used as a public and cultural forum. The plot of the IEB is most of the time crowded with many people. Although the IEB lies next to Suhrawardi Udyan, there is no connection between both and this because of the fence. It also makes, although to a lesser extent, two backsides of the two plots as seen in Court Zone and Suhrawardi Udyan. Here starts ‘no man’s land’ and an often empty space in the IEB. [Rahman 2006a]

CULTURAL BELT

From this perspective one can understand the creation of this striking monument for the three Pakistani politicians only ten years after a bloody independence war between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Behind this monument the Shahbaz Khan Mosque is situated. This mosque was constructed in 1679 by Haji Khwaja Shahbaz, a rich merchant of Dhaka and today it can be identified this as a distinct example of the Mughal style in Bengal.

^ Picture showing the Three Leaders Mausoleum next to the Quazi Nazrul Islam Avenue. Behind the mausoluem a small part of the Shahbaz Khan Mosque is visible. > Map indicating the site and the monument of the Three Leaders Mausoleum.

THREE LEADERS MAUSOLEUM TEEN NETAR KOBAR The Three Leaders Mausoleum was created in 1980 by architect Masud Ahmaed to cover the burial place of three national leaders, A.K. Fazlul Huq, Khawaja Nazimuddin and Huseyn Sheed Suhrawardy. The first one also called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sher-e-Banglaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the Tiger of Bengal, was a renowed statesman and was Home Minister of Pakistan in 1955 and Governor of East-Pakistan from 1956-1958. He died in 1963 and several buildings in Dhaka are named after him, for example the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Khawaja Nazimuddin, a descendent of the powerful Nawab family of Dhaka, became the second Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1951-53 and more important the first of Bengal origin. The last person, Huseyn Sheed Suhrawardi, was one of the principal Founding Fathers of modern day Pakistan and was prime minister of Pakistan in 1956-57. The present park Suhrawardi Udyan, next to the Mausoleum, was named after him.

Nowadays this monument is surrounded by fences on every side. This site has much more potential. If the border to Shurawardi Udyan is opened, the mausoleum could become an interesting element in the park. In contrast with today, people could really visit the monument but they could also use it as a shelter for the sun or when it rains. People can use the stairs to sit on and enjoy the park. The grass around the sculpture can be used by playing children. Also the Shahbaz Khan Mosque behind the mausoleum would benefit if the site opens up to the park area. The mosque would become more visible and much more accessible.

The monument was constructed in 1980 under the government of president Ziaur Rahman. He is the founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and during his term of office he increased the direct influence and role of the Islam in the government. 0

100m

CULTURAL BELT_

NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE Shaheed Minar is a monument erected on the place where the first killings had taken place during the language movement. Especially on the 21st of February, when the entire plaza is decorated with flowers, the struggle during the Language Movement in 1952 comes to surface. [Van Schendel 2009]

^ Students construct a memorial for those who died in the defence of the Bengali language, February 1952. The Pakistan government removed the memorial and over the decade it was reconstructed several times when finally a concrete one was constructed in 1962. [Van Schendel 2009]

< First row: Panorama of Shaheed Minar Second row: Sign dictating behaviour of users - women sitting on higher levels - Media fighting to get a scoop of manifestation Third row: Backside of Shaheed Minar: left over place - A couple relaxing Guard having quiet moment Forth row: A colourful bunch of people sitting on borders - Contested graffiti quotations related to language movement.

SYMBOLISM The monument consists of five vertical elements in total of which the central one represents the national language. The people of Bangladesh are represented by the other 4 elements. The monument symbolises the national language being amongst the people of Bangladesh and taking care of them. Unfortunately the people are not unanimously consent with the monument. It seems like the central element, representing the national language, is leaning forward. In their opinion it is a contradiction because the monument should act out proud instead of bowing down. [Fieldwork 2 2011]

^ The plaza area got a square shape from a triangular one shifting the direction of adjacent roads. The map on top demonstrates the situation in 1960, the final one indicates the situation in 2010. [History map 1924] [Google Earth 2010]

SHAHEED MINAR

THE SUN The occupation of Shaheed Minar is strongly dictated by the position of the sun. Only after sunset people make a go of using the upper levels of the monument. During the day, when the sun is at its best, the people confine their movement to the lower shadowy levels. SMALL BIOTOPE The presence of trees on the lower levels provides cooling shadows and the grass creates a park atmosphere, nevertheless situated in the middle of the city, it is comparable with a small biotope. On top of that, the heightened border at the edge of the plaza does not only portion off the noise from the plaza but also functions well as a sitting place.

0 100m ^ The monument works as a focal point for the area. The adjustment to a square shape has contributed to that.

Section A-A’

B’

B A’

Public Road

Shaheed Minar

100m 0 < The sections show the gradual lift of the plaza with as climax the language monument itself. On top of that, the sections highlight the left over spaces behind the language monument, which are frequented by couples during the day and at night by drug addicts.

Nursing Hostel

Section B-B’

Dhaka University Medical College

Shaheed Minar

Public Road

Student Hall

CULTURAL BELT_

0 100m ^ The maps shows the main pedestrian, (dotted line) and vehicular traffic (continuous line). The pedestrians prefer to take the steps twice, one time up and one time down, instead of using the sidewalk at Shaheed Minar. It is not only the shortest way but mainly the most enjoyable. [Fieldwork2]

DAILY AND EXTRA-ORDINARY The monument is a place where the daily use and extra-ordinary coexist in great harmony. The daily activity is primarily determined by two actors. On one side the place is affected by students of Dhaka University to spend their breaks. On the other side the visitors, patients and medical representatives of Dhaka University Medical College use the plaza as a public waiting room. The mix of these daily uses result in a relatively high percentage of women. Mostly the daily users spending their time on the premises of Shaheed Minar, just enjoy having a break in the greenery and do not commemorate the historical events each time. The attentions shifts on special occasions, like a public manifestation. Then Shaheed Minar is transformed from a scenery into a stage. The prominent position of the 5 vertical elements plays an important role as background and the attention is focussed on them. Even though the normal activities still happen, the activities simply change their normal course of business, without any problem. The adjustment is quite similar to that one dictated by the sun. It all happens automatically.

SHAHEED MINAR

DIFFERENT LEVELS Even though a relatively dense traffic road passes by, the annoyance does not bother the users of Shaheed Minar. Vice versa the motorized and pedestrian traffic can pass by without noticing the important national monument. The different levels give Shaheed Minar a characteristic setting. They create separation and at the same time the premises keep an inviting atmosphere. Shaheed Minar points out that there are alternatives for the general mishmash of fences and walls. As a result different groups of the society gather on this small surface without hindering each other. [Fieldwork 1]

LEFT OVER SPACES Considering the relatively small surface of Shaheed Minar and the intensive and diverse uses, the potential of the place is almost used to its maximum. A few investments can be made by uploading the left over spaces behind the monument. A positive effect is that couples resort to this boundaries in the evening because they are completely out of sight. Unfortunately these undetermined places also attract illegal uses, like drugs use and prostitution. [Fieldwork2]

This list is the legend for the observation maps on the following pages. Police/Guards Couples Patients/Visitors Medical Representatives Floating People/Beggars Vendors Motorcycles Rickshawpullers Rickshaw Students Demonstrators

OBSERVATIONS: DAILY

6 am - 9 am

9 am - 6 pm

QUIET KICK-OFF The rickshaw men are exhausted! Luckily the big trees in Shaheed Minar provide cooling shadows and the traffic is calm. Ideal to catch up sleep. Actually they can’t complain because they made good money yesterday over here. Especially at night Shaheed Minar is a vibrant place. The late night shift is good for business but nothing is as valuable as spending a night in your own bed. In the early morning the precautious police arrives. A few of them chitchat with each other, others buy food at the stalls. Finally they take in their spot and start their daily shift. Meanwhile the labouring rickshaw men are having breakfast in front of the entrance of the Dhaka University Medical College. No consultations means no people, it is as simple as that. At ten o’clock it will be another story.

ON THE BEAT OF THE HOSPITAL New actors enter the scenery. As soon as the Medical College revives at ten o’clock the adjacent streets and Shaheed Minar undergo a transformation. The medical representatives especially strike the eyes. Suited with briefcases they finalize their paperwork on their motorcycles. Its like they have an ‘open office’ in the streets. Some of them purchase food from the local vendors. The main entrance to the hospital is almost entirely obstructed by the rickshaw pullers. Every day the same circus! Each rickshaw puller wants to lure a potential client and tries to be a step ahead of the rest. The atmosphere is vibrant and extremely noisy. Another consultation is scheduled in the afternoon, the play will repeat itself once again. More and more people troop in Shaheed Minar. Love is in the air! Some couples enjoy each other’s presence in the less notable ‘edges’ on the western side of Shaheed Minar.

6 pm - 10 pm

WOMEN FRIENDLY ZONE? The night has fallen down. Shaheed Minar is crowded like never before! Amongst them remarkably a lot of women. Clearly the girls feel at ease. Good lighting and a wide, open view are undoubtedly the basic ingredients for this success. The number of couples has doubled in a few hours. What a difference with Suhrawardi Udyan this time a day! No signs that it will appease shortly. By good observing you even notice some students of Dhaka University postponing the moment of heading home. Hopefully they will attend their lessons on time the next day! During the day the sun really is a pain in the ass. At night people invade the whole area, even the upper levels. Even though the hospital has said goodbye to the last patient a few hours ago, the entrance of the hospital is still crowded. The patients and the medical representatives have left already a long time ago...

CULTURAL BELT_ SHAHEED MINAR OBSERVATIONS: EXTRA-ORDINARY

11 am

12 am

BLUE INVASION At eleven o’clock a police bus stops across the street. Something is going to happen definitely! Without exaggerating thirty heavy armed police officers step out of the bus. It is like a blue invasion. The police force disperses itself into different groups, installing themselves at strategic points nearby the van. I am beginning to feel uncomfortable. Strangely the medical representatives and the rickshaw pullers relocate themselves without grumbling. They move up twenty metres away in the next shadowy zone. The show of force by the police really gives me goose bumps. The idea to shorten my observation today came up in my mind but finally I mustered my courage and stayed. Exciting!

(ANTI)CLIMAX More and more people gather by the side of the van, but actually the attendance is disappointing. I recognize well-dressed persons whose pictures I have seen in the newspapers. A part of them lines up behind a big banner. A microphone is put forward. The cameramen start to shoot footage. At last the police gets into action and stands tall...

10 am

WHITE VAN? A strange van, completely covered with white fabric, is parked in front of Shaheed Minar. Different banners are hung up in the trees. It is hard for me to read them from here. Next to the van a table is installed and people come and go to the person sitting behind it. It seems like the person at the table is registering them. Another person is testing the loudspeakers. The sound of the traffic overrules the loudspeakers. Damn, I can’t hear what he is saying. Out of nowhere two television channels arrive at Shaheed by car. Only a moment later they are joined by four more television channels. What the hell is going on?

White Van

All of a sudden all the puzzle pieces fit together. A few days ago the director of the awarded movie ‘the Clay Bird’ died in a tragic car accident. On this occasion famous poets and artists denounce the government for their failing policy. All in all, I was relieved it was a peace-loving manifestation. Initially I thought blood would be shed. The van was symbolically swathed and the person behind the table was collecting blood donors.

Police Bus

100m

100

PARK ZONE The zone which is called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Park Zoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; includes the two largest open spaces and at the same time the two most important parks of Ramna Area. Ramna Park is located north and Suhrawardi Udyan south and are both part of the Main Stage of Ramna Area. The fact that the parks are surrounded with cultural, institutional, administrative etc. buildings results in a very intensive use. Not only the traffic jammed street between Ramna Park and Suhrawardi Udyan makes a striking separation between the two but also the way of accommodation, use and users of the parks make a notable distinction between the two. Ramna Park is attractive for its natural and quiet environment, its safety level that is higher because of the many guards, its big amount of shade and the location. It is often used by the more wealthy part of society. Suhrawardy Udyan is far less accommodated than Ramna Park. Because of the lack of benches and lights, for example, lots of movable stalls are present in the park. The people accommodate the park by themselves which gives Suhrawardi Udyan a unique atmosphere. The reason why this park is still attractive, despite the lack of accommodation, is the infrastructures and the monuments in the park and the relationship with the important buildings of the Cultural Belt. In both of the parks a water body is present. The people of Bangladesh feel related to water, so a pond is one of the most desirable items in a park. [Khan 2011] The two parks are both encircled by fences, which gives a closed environment and creates spaces which are not used by park visitors but often by floating people. 101

500m

PARK ZONE

RAMNA PARK

Kakrail Mosque

Banyan Tree Exposition Space

Ramna Restaurant BanghaBandhu Museum

SURHAWARDI UDYAN

Amphitheatre

Kali Mandir (Hindu Temple)

Haji Shahbaz Moque

Mausoleum of Three Leaders

500m

102

103

PARKS_RAMNA

SOLE GREEN SPACE OF THE CITY The history of Ramna Park already starts in the 19th century when Mr. Dowes cleared up the area around 1825. Ramna Green was established around the Ramna Lake in 1909. After the separation from India a mini zoo was created on this spot until 1949 when Ramna Park was officially created, occupying a surface of 0,36 km2, also containing a vast lake. Public Works Department designed the landscape of the park in 1952 with great respect for the existing trees. Nowadays the park has a surface of 0,28 km2 along with its 0,035 km2 of lake. [Rahman 2006c] The presence of the lake plays an important role for the environmental and ecological balance of the park which contains diverse trees and water plants. [PWD 2008]

< First row: couple sitting on a bench at the side of Ramna Lake - south entrance of Ramna Park. Second row: older men exercising in Ramna Park early in the morning - a coffee vendor selling drinks to a couple of young men. Third row: a floating woman trying to reach the water - the women-zone in Ramna Park when some women doing exercises early in the morning. V panorama view over Ramna Park.

Guards are posted at the seven entrances of the park and they close the gates at night. Near the east entrances, car parking for around 40 cars is available as the park is host to many wealthy citizens, such as government officials, using the park for their daily exercise. [Showdhury n.d.] A children’s corner was being developed with many pieces of play equipment but this playground can be used more intensively because now only on weekend days some families spent their afternoon at the playground. The children’s corner is completely fenced. In the rest of the park some kiosks are present to use as a shelter or for men doing exercises in the morning. In the north of the park a women-zone is created where each morning a group of women is

PARK

found exercising to stay fit. The restaurant situated next to the lake has closed in recent years. The many benches surrounding the lake and the rest of the park are very popular to relax on and enjoy the views. In comparison with the adjacent Suhrawardi Udyan, Ramna Park is equipped with lots of facilities to make it an accessible and agreeable park.

KAKRAIL MOSQUE

At the east border of Ramna Park the Kakrail Mosque is situated. This particular mosque is for Muslim believers of the ‘Tableeghi Jamaat’. It is a missionary and revival movement to bring guidance to the world’s Muslims. The mission of converting people from other religions to the Islam (Jihad) is completely absent in their movement. [Arshad 2007] As one of the most important Tableeghi Jamaat mosques in Bangladesh many believers from all over the country gather here to pray. Especially as the central feature of the Tableeghi movement is to undertake a tour (from one night, to a week and even 120 days in a row) to keep other Muslims ‘on the path of God’. [Metcalf 1996]

Interesting to mention is that Tableeghi Jamaat was set up under the British Rule in India. The British were always keeping an eye on any new Muslim group and movement and so the formation of the Jamaat was a gift for them. A movement that totally absorbed the energy of its members and yet did not threaten British domination as converting others to the Islam was absent in their movement. [Islamic Academy n.d.]

104

RAMNA PARK_PARKS Weekday observations

CITY GYMNASIUM Middle aged men swinging their legs and arms in an attempt to copy the instructor in the middle of the circle, runners dodging each other because there is almost no place left on the paths, quick walking people, hardly any free gym installation, people doing yoga in the grass or in the kiosks,… this is Ramna park early in the morning. The city gymnasium. Most of the people are middle to upper class. After the morning prayer they come to the park for some exercises and before going to work they pass at their house for a quick shower. Between the runners we notice a lot of women, although they are still over numbered by the men. The women zone is one of the busiest zones. Only women off course. They have to be careful not to bump each other while doing their morning exercises.

Sporters Women Couples Vendors Students 0

105

500m

TIME IN BETWEEN Most of the sportsmen left the park, although here and there we still find some exercising people. Mostly in the north of the park. The benches on the waterside attract a lot of couples. Small groups of students are chilling in the grass. We also notice many people in decent clothes. Middle aged men and older men. Men sitting alone on a bench. Reading a newspaper or doing nothing. Talking with them teaches us that most of them are filling up ‘time in between’, waiting for their grandchildren they dropped off at school, or at someone in the hospital,… The exercising women of this morning are replaced by a group of chitchatting women waiting for their kids.

9 TO 12 EQUALS 12 TO 2? Not much changed. We see some new faces but the profiles remain the same. The students left. The chitchatting women in the womenzone are changed by some chitchatting guys. The only thing that reminds us that this place is a womenzone is a sign at the entrance of the kiosk. An older woman who is one of the ‘resident floating people’ is washing her dishes in the pond.

COUPLE TIME In the afternoon Ramna Park is the place in town to hang around with a girlfriend or lover. The couples occupy almost every bench. The leftover benches are mostly filled with students. In the grass we see some small groups of women and more students. Floating people try to sell flowers they are making on the side of the road.

PUFFING OUT At dawn, working people like to spend some time in Ramna to cool down from their busy day. They have a walk or just sit on a bench before going back home. In an overpopulated chaotic city where there is a huge shortage of open space, a green oasis like Ramna park is a welcome relief. Some people who didn’t have the chance to go for a jog in the morning take advantage of the last sunlight to do some physical exercise. The park closes at 10 PM. A few floating people have an ‘agreement’ with the guards to spend the night in the park.

106

107

PARKS_RAMNA PARK Weekend observations

FAMILY TRIP Ramna Park gets very popular on weekend afternoons. We find many different visitors this time a week. The usual couples, old or young, sitting next to each other, hand in hand on one of the hundred benches besides the lake. Older men try to stay in shape, and show off at the same time, at a fitness spot. Groups of students sitting in the grass, chatting and relaxing after a week of hard work at the university. Even girls come to the park, mostly in group, to enjoy the fresh air, or maybe to watch the boys. On weekend afternoons many families walk around in Ramna Park. Coming from all over the city mum, dad and the children walk hand in hand through the park, around the lake, or stop for a minute at the playground or to by a coco juice.

WALK IN THE DARK Like most evenings Ramna Park is crowded with people, mostly men, jogging, walking or just relaxing on a bench. Some students visit the park in the evening, but they stay in the south-west part of the park, where proper lighting provide a safe and agreeable atmosphere. At the northern border some women were present sitting besides their boyfriend or husband or.. We heard rumours that sex workers would be present at night in the park. Nevertheless we did not witnessed this, but the unlighted, small paths and bushes would form the perfect scenery for it.

500m

108

The graph on the next page shows the outcome of the ‘quick counts’ done during the observations in the parks. Dividing the park in four parts, each one counted the people in the specific observation zone of the park on a specific moment [See Booklet Introduction, Methodology]. The results of this counts both of a week-day as a weekend-day are shown on the next page. The numbers confirm what has been mentioned before. USERS Combining the data from the quick counts and the observations the users are divided into different categories. ‘Sporters’ is defined as a group of people, man and female, who’s purpose is to come to the park to walk or jog to exercise. A group ‘couples’ is defined, containing both young and old, both students and government officials, relaxing together in the park. A group of ‘women’ is defined as in the morning also lots of women and girls are present, some of them exercising but also many of them just chitchatting under a kiosk or in the women-zone. The group of ‘students’ contain both young male and female persons observed in the park. The ‘floating people’ is a group of people begging or even living in the park area. In Ramna Park ‘vendors’ are found at the entrance gates selling their food and drinks. A last group is called ‘others’. They represent mostly middle age men relaxing in the park during their lunch break at work.

109

DURING THE WEEK The most striking on a week-day is the number of sporters, both female and men, walking and jogging in the park early in the morning. The number of women that time a day is also surprising, many of them are exercising alone or in group or others just sit together somewhere in the shade on a bench. Almost 1500 people were counted on the same moment on a particular weekday morning. This moment the park is almost filled to its limits and to cope with the increasing amount of people in the city, expanding and intensifying the use of the park will be necessary. The rest of the day is characterized with less than 1000 people on the same moment in the park. As the graph shows a huge part of them are couples, most of them relaxing on a bench on the lakeside. WEEKEND SPECIALS On a weekend-day a similar pattern can be observed. In the morning there is also the rush of sporters to the park (although less then on a weekday). However, the park is much more crowded during the late afternoon (2-6 PM) and evening (6-10 PM) in the weekends. Many couples spend their afternoon resting in the park. Even when the sun goes down the park remains crowded with more than 1000 people at the same moment around 9 PM. Are all of them just enjoying their last hours before another busy week at work starts again? Or does other things take place at night, hidden in a dark spot under the trees?

PARKS_RAMNA

PARK

110

111

PARKS_RAMNA

When observing the people in Ramna Park some interesting characteristics of the park users became clear, especially when comparing those with the observations in Suhrawardi Udyan. WOMEN-ZONE The appearance of women in Ramna Park is rather different than in other public spaces in the city. Women, almost all veiled, are always visible in the park. In the morning lots of sportive women walk or jog in the park for their daily exercise. Also the women-zone in Ramna Park is used intensively in the morning by groups of women doing some exercises or others just sitting together chitchatting. In the afternoon some men are hanging around in the women-zone. The possibility to spend time in a man-free area gives some women, that otherwise would not enter the park, the opportunity to enter a public park. The presence of women zones somehow enforces the safety feeling of female park users. Particularly on weekend days many families, parents with little children, visit the park, thus accompanied by male family members, most women also feel secure to enter public places. SEGREGATION Comparing Ramna Park with Suhrawardi Udyan, another striking difference occurred when observing the park users. Ramna Park is situated at the south-west border of the ‘democratic’ zone, a residential area where government officeholders and court employees have their residence; they are frequent users of the park. This in contrast with Suhrawardi Udyan, home to lots of students from the adjacent campus area. The road separating the two parks act as a real border between two types of public life. On one side the vibrant life of the students playing sports or chilling in the grass when they find a gap in their schedule from school. The other side hosts a more serene atmosphere for workmen or families spending their afternoons on a bench at the side of Ramna Lake.

PARK

Besides the separation between students and government officials also a separation between poor and rich people appeared to us. As groups of floating people have made Suhrawardi Udyan their homes and spend their day playing, washing and sleeping in the park, floating people in Ramna Park are much less present. Is it the lack of mobile vendors and merchants in Ramna Park? Or the guards at every entrance gate who close the park at night? Or maybe the more wealthy users of Ramna Park used their influence to ban these people out of ‘their’ park? Probably a combination of all these reasons is right. Ramna Park is an icon of the city already for many ages. In the 19th century the British established the adjacent Ramna Racecourse and designed the Ramna Green as an enjoyable park in the ever growing city. Nowadays Ramna Park still is an iconic place as each year on Bengali New Year a procession, followed by thousands of Bengalis, starts at the Banyan tree in Ramna Park. But is the park as pleasant as our observations seem to conclude? When interviewing park users other perceptions of the park became clear. Also the facts and numbers about crime and violence contradict with some of our first impressions of the park. Is it possible that this pleasant green park transforms into a dangerous obscure place when the sun goes down? What to think about the stories of female and male sexworkers hanging around in the park at night waiting for ‘customers’? Looking at Ramna as part of a design investigation, the park functions well but still has much more potential. The fences surrounding the park and the playground on the one hand protect the park and its visitors but on the other hand it forms an explicit border. If security is guaranteed, parts of the park can be opened up to the rest of the area. Advancing the connection with the lake would also give the place more potential.

112

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PARKS_SUHRAWARDI

THE CITY OPEN SPACE After a rich history the Suhrawardi Udyan park nowadays covers an area of 0.335 km2 of land. It dates back to the Mughals who used this place as royal gardens and under British rule a racecourse was established on this spot. In recent history this place acted as the stage for many great events when Bangladesh became an independent country. There was the ‘7th March address’, the famous speech of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Some say more than 1 million people gathered at the racecourse to listen to his speech. The Pakistani military leaders signed the surrendering after the War of Liberation on the spot of the present Suhrawardi Udyan park. The official inauguration of Bangladesh also took place at the racecourse on 17 March 1972 in the presence of Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahman and Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. Until 1971 Suhrawardi Udyan was an open area lacking trees. After the independence trees were added in a disorganised way to the disappointment of many citizens of Bangladesh. The look of Ramna Racecourse ground switched into a park with greens and walkways after 1975 and as a consequence one of the most prominent reminders of the colonial rule is wiped off. Today this area plays a very important role as the “city open space”. In 1979 a huge part of the park was taken when Shishu Park was constructed at the northern border. The BNP government implemented this children’s park on the spot where Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman held his famous speech. By doing this, the place lost much of its meaning as it became just an ordinary playground.

< First row: young boys playing in the water in Suhrawardi Udyan - in the evening the waterfront is very popular, especially for couples [Mumit M.] Second row: a music performance takes place in one of the kiosks in the park - men exercising in the morning - the vendor stalls are omnipresent in the park. Third row: view on the crowded amphitheatre in the evening.

UDYAN

Later on in 1996, the citizens of Bangladesh, who longed for a site of remembrance for the Liberation War, were granted their request by the construction of the Eternal Flame at the Suhrawardi Udyan. [Zahiruddin 2011] They also started with the construction of the Bangabandhu Museum in the centre of the park, though this will only be finished in 2012. Infrastructure inside the park is quite bad, especially compared to Ramna Park. In Suhrawardi Udyan no benches are provided unless around the water, a public toilet is provided but this is in very poor condition, lighting in the park is seldom and the worst of all is that the entire place is very dirty. NEW LAYOUT A design competition was launched in 1997 to build a museum commemorating the Liberation War but the design comprised in fact the whole park. The original design by architects Chowdhury and Tabassum involved an elliptical path which functions as a border. Within the elliptical path a vast lawn is situated which automatically implied the harvest of the central trees. Later on the plans were adjusted and the inner trees were saved. On the outer borders the trees remain intact but extra lighting, benches and a few pathways are implemented. Both architects made clear that they were aware of the obscure quality of Suhrawardi Udyan after dark and the neglected zone in the south-east corner of the park. [Chowdhurry 2011] and [Tabassum 2011]

Mister Shah Alam Zahiruddin, former chief architect from 1970 untill 1995, was not content with the present layout of Suhrawardi Udyan. In his opinion ‘Dhaka is not only lacking sufficient green spaces but especially the absence of green ‘open’ spaces is a thorn in their side.’ [Zahiruddin 2011] He advocates for removing most of the trees.

114

Shishu Park

Horizontal Axis Eternal Flame

Liberation War Museum

Elliptical Path Amphitheatre

Kali Mandir Temple

500m

^ The map shows the intended design by architects Chowdhury and Tabassum. The most prominent elements are named. < The section is made through the amphitheatre of Suhrawardi Udyan designed by architect Chowdhury.

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PARKS_SUHRAWARDI

LAYOUT PARK Until 1971 Suhrawardi Udyan was an open area lacking trees. After independence trees were added in a disorganised way to the disappointment of many citizens of Bangladesh. The look of Ramna Racecourse ground switched into a park with greens and walkways after 1975 and as a consequence one of the most prominent reminders of colonial rule is wiped off. In a way this is a firm statement and a starting point in the establishment of an independent Bangladesh. Later on in 1996, the citizens of Bangladesh, who longed for a site of remembrance for the Liberation War, were granted their request by the construction of the Eternal Flame at the Suhrawardi Udyan. [Zahiruddin 2011] NEW LAYOUT A design competition was written out in 1997 to build a museum commemorating the Liberation War but the design comprised in fact the whole park. The original design by architects Chowdhury and Tabassum involved an elliptical path which functions as a border. Within the elliptical path a vast lawn is situated which automatically implied the harvest of the central trees. Later on the plans were adjusted and the inner trees were saved. On the outer borders the trees remain intact but extra lighting, benches and a few pathways are implemented. Both architects made clear that they were aware of the obscure quality of Suhrawardi Udyan after dark and the neglected zone in the south-east corner of the park. [Chowdhurry 2011] and [Tabassum 2011]

UDYAN

HORIZONTAL AXIS The horizontal axis that marks the border between Suhrawardi Udyan and Shishu Park is a wide path that allows cars to enter the park on special occasions like national festivities. Dignitaries can be dropped of by car at the Eternal Flame. If something would happen, the dignitaries can easily and fast leave the park without any problem, so it is also a safety measure. AMPHITHEATRE The amphitheatre on the western side of Suhrawardi Udyan is designed by architect Chowdhury and located nearby Teachers Student Centre. The intention was to attract more students from the adjacent universities. During the day the amphitheatre is an unpleasant place to spend time due to the burning sun and the absence of shelter. After dark the amphitheatre is one of the only places that is accommodated with proper lighting. Until 11PM the amphitheatre is one of the main attractors of Suhrawardi Udyan. The mobile vendors walking around and promoting their goods give the amphitheatre the place a vibrant atmosphere. During festivals, the amphitheatre provides the ideal scenery to perform plays. KALI MANDIR Inside the territory of Suhrawardi Udyan used to stand the Ramna Kali Mandir Hindu Temple. Unfortunately the temple was destroyed by the Pakistan Army in 1971 during the Liberation War. The number of casualties was catastrophic, about one hundred, for the greater part Hindus. Once the temple was one of Dhaka city’s most prominent landmarks. [Islam et al. 2011]

In 1972 the Awami League agreed with the demolition of the ruins of the temple and thereby upsetting the Bangladesh Hindus. Until today the Bangladesh Hindus are demanding to construct a structure to worship Goddess Kali at the spot where the old Temple used to stand but the local government is reluctant. The standpoints are in a great disparity and it is a mystery when consensus will be found. [Ismail 2011]

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SUHRAWARDI UDYAN_PARKS Weekday observations

ALREADY AWAKE? Most of the food vendors still are sleeping in there multifunctional stands. They have been selling their goods until late at night and have to get up soon when hungry workmen queue in line for a cheap breakfast. Surrounded only by a mosquito net they not seem to notice the yelling of a boy running around, hands in the air, imagining himself as Messi after a nice goal during a football match. The south-western ‘no man’s land’ still is empty aside from a few floating guys waking up. At the same time only a few hundred metres further Ramna Park is already crowded with more than 1000 sporters.

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BREAKFAST BEFORE WORK Especially the areas around the west entrances are crowded this time a day. Both students and middle aged men hang around the food stands for a cup of tea, a quick bite, their daily newspaper,.. Some even take time to do some exercises at the local fitness devices. A group of students play an intense game of cricket at the other side of the park. Don’t these future leaders of the country have lessons to attend? “Lessons only start at 11 AM!” one of them shout to me smiling.

SEARCHING FOR THE SHADE Couples and groups of students sit together under the trees. The inner circle and the benches around the water stay uncrowded probably because of the burning sun. Other parts of the park become busy spots at noon, even the south-eastern part where many student couples sit in the grass and some youngsters play a game of cricket. Close to the north-western entrance a group of art students try to sketch a model in front of them. Groups of about 10 people and more lay in circles in the grass to enjoy their noon break.

MORE THAN 3000 ACTORS On a weekday afternoon the park is filled by all kinds of people, more than 3000 at the same time according our observations, enjoy spending their afternoon hanging around in the park. A big part of the area is taken by sporters of all ages for their daily game of cricket. Young couples gather around the water or find themselves a quiet place in the shade under the trees. Vendors do good business selling drinks and food to the thirsty cricket players or the hungry workmen relaxing after a hard day at the office. The Hindu temple, Ramna Kali Mandir, at the centre of the park was intensively visited during the time of our observations.

LATE NIGHT SNACK Due to inadequate lighting, huge parts of the park stay dark in the evening, however the park keeps its atmosphere until late at night. There is always something happening at the western entrances of the park. Art students have a small exhibition space at the entrance in front of the Arts Institute and people gather around to watch this colourful occurrence. All vendors set up their â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;terracesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; underneath the trees and these often remain crowded until 10 PM. The amphitheatre and the water pond are still the place for students and couples to spend the evening, maybe because this place is alight. On the most northern side of the park each day people gather to sit together to chat or even smoke a joint.

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PARKS_SUHRAWARDI UDYAN Weekend observations

SUHRAWARDI CRICKET STADIUM On a weekend morning Suhrawardi Udyan park is transformed into a giant outdoor sports field. Hundreds of young boys, students or even workmen play on one of the 30 haphazardly formed cricket fields or play football on one of 10 dusty and stony football pitches. It is noticeable that no girls are seen here playing or sporting. At the vendor stands a young man is relaxing with a cup of tea in his hand and his eyes on an article in the weekendnewspaper.

ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE Weekend noons are rather calm in Suhrawardi Udyan, especially the friday noon when most men rush towards the nearest mosque for the friday prayer. Afterwards people enjoy spending their afternoon hanging around in the park. The waterfront seems very popular for young couples. They sit side by side, separated by 5 metres, on a bench or with their feet hanging over the edge sometimes touching the water. The amphitheatre is crowded as if a famous play was going on on the scene. Nevertheless the only actors are the students laughing and chanting with their pockets full of peanuts just bought from a passing vendor.

< First column: at night the park becomes a terrace with hundreds of chairs put around the vendor stalls some places are reserved for Dhaka Club members to play golf - parts of the day the park is crowded with people playing football or cricket. Second column: clothes of floating people drying on the grass - some spots are very dirty and full with garbage - the north part of the park is often full of people sitting in group, sometimes smoking a cigarette or even a joint. 0

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The graph on the right page is the result of observations and quick counts during the fieldwork in Dhaka in September and October 2011. USERS This graph indicates the number of park visitors counted at the same moment in Suhrawardi Udyan divided in different user groups. These groups differ a little bit from the users defined in Ramna Park. In Suhrawardi Udyan the ‘sporters’ are young children and students playing cricket or football on the open spaces of the park. Also some older men doing some exercises at a kiosk are labelled as ‘sporters’. By ‘couples’ the same group is characterized as in Ramna Park only in Suhrawardi Udyan most couples are students living at the adjacent university campus. In contrast with Ramna Park ‘vendors’ partly create the atmosphere in Suhrawardi Udyan. All day long they provide the visitors with food and drinks and late at night their kerosene lamps provide a relaxing and fairylike environment under the trees. The graph is clear about ‘women’ in the park, almost no women, unless accompanied by a man, were present in the park during our observations. DURING THE WEEK AND WEEKEND The general visitor’s pattern is quite similar on a weekday and on a weekend-day. During the week the park is a little bit more crowded with an average of 1700 people at the same time but with a peak in the afternoon of more than 3000 people! This peak also occurs in the weekends but the users differ.

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On a weekday more than thousand ‘sporters’ are playing cricket or football in the park however during the weekend the park is crowded with ‘couples’ and ‘students’ relaxing and enjoying a free afternoon in the park. The park stays vibrant until late at night. On a regular weekday we counted more than 1500 people hanging around in the park around 8 PM. Among them most are young men and students sitting in groups in the grass. The lack of proper lighting in the park causes many dark spots under the trees. However this does not seem to stop people from sitting there. We believe it is even a great opportunity for ‘couples’ to hide themselves a little from glances from passing persons. However some dark spaces also have an obscure character. We have been told rumours about sexworkers ‘working’ at night in Suhrawardi Udyan and during a particular morning observation we even witnessed several used condoms lying on the ground at one of these dark spots of the park. We already mentioned the floating people begging and living in the park and the graph shows we observed a regular number of them in Suhrawardi Udyan. During the day some are begging for money from other park visitors and in particular from 4 Belgian students walking around in the park. At a specific spot, some women were present each day making flower necklaces which the youngest tries to sell. They also spend the night in the park, some of them in self-made tent structures but others just under the open sky on one of the pathways.

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ONE TERRITORY FOR EACH GROUP At particular hours the park receives an immense crowd from over 3000 people at the same time! Its popularity originates from the fact that the area offers possibilities for many different groups of society. Therefore all kinds of people are playing, relaxing, sporting, eating, washing, sleeping,... in the park. One could say this park acts as an example of a place where all of Dhaka citizens live happily together. Although people of different ‘classes’ of society are enjoying the park simultaneously, they do not interact with each other often. They each claim a specific part of the park to perform their activities, whether it is playing cricket or relaxing on a bench. Group segregation seems to be highly present in public spaces in Dhaka. This topic was already explained in ‘Actors and Play’. These territories vary during the day as other users pass through the park and different areas become the stage of their performances.

For example the open fields inside the ellipse are used intensively by young children and students for playing cricket or football. In the evening however this place gets crowded with groups of people or couples sitting here in the grass chatting with each other. During the observations some distinct areas seemed to ‘belong’ to particular groups. The central area in between the ellipse pathway is claimed by young children for playing cricket or football during the day. The benches surrounding the water are mostly occupied with young couples sitting hand in hand next to each other. The area at the northern border of the park next to the street, is a famous spot for both students and middle aged men spending their evenings sitting in small groups smoking a cigarette or even a joint. The south-eastern corner of the park only attracts some people in the afternoon when everyone is searching for a shaded spot. The rest of the day this area remains very empty, this is why we refer to this place as the ‘no man’s land’.

< Two panoramas showing almost the same spot inside the ellipse in Suhrawardi Udyan. The top picture shows young people playing cricket or football during the day. The bottom panorama is taken in the evening. All kinds of people are sitting in the grass recharging their batteries after a hard and warm day of work.

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CONTESTED FOR MANY YEARS Important events marked the path in history of the present Suhrawardi Udyan park. During the British period a racecourse was built on the same site for the entertainment of the prominent British people. Due to the presence of the racecourse the place remained empty for many years and with a central position in the city, the place was host to many mass events leading to the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. Many political speeches and manifestations were held on the racecourse such as the famous 7th March address of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman claiming the independence of Bangladesh. After the Liberation War the official independence of Bangladesh was also declared at the grounds of the Racecourse. Therefore this place still represents a great nationalistic feeling. However this feeling mainly lives in the hearts of the followers of Mujibur Rahman. He founded the Awami League political party who forms the present government and with prime minister Sheikh Hassina, daughter of Mujibur Rahman. Knowing all this, and with the construction of the new museum in the centre of Suhrawardi Udyan, the political image of the park is obvious. Opposite party Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, did efforts to counter this political image during previous terms when they were in charge. Building the Shishu children’s park in the north of the Suhrawardi Udyan can be seen as a way to trivialize this place which still remembers the people to the famous speech from Mujibur Rahman in 1971. CAN THIS PLACE GROW? With an urban population growth among the highest in the world, Dhaka will continue to face an immense increase in population. Public parks however will further diminish to make room for, more lucrative, housing and commercial developments. Suhrawardi Udyan and Ramna Park nowadays act as the biggest open space and public park of the city. We believe these parks have to evolve in order to cope with the arrival of thousands more willing to spend some time in the park zone in the heart of the city. An obvious solution would be to expand the park

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area. Opening some of the borders, nowadays the two parks are completely surrounded with fences, would increase accessibility and thus capacity of the parks. Another solution would be to charge particular places in the parks as nowadays, even if the park is crowded, some places are left blank, even act as ‘no mans lands’. Intensifying particular areas of the parks and promoting time-sharing of space could be great design tools. Infrastructure in Ramna Park is developed quite well with lots of benches and some kiosks but in Suhrawardi Udyan only the surrounding of the water body is equipped with benches and throughout the park almost no shelters against the sun or rain are present. Again putting it on a scale of how much potential Suhrawardi Udyan has left, the park scores good. The place already facilitates huge amounts of people but it has the potential to house more visitors as it is, the last, but biggest public park left in the city. NO PLACE FOR WOMEN In the discussion about Ramna Park we pointed out the appearance of women in the park. However Suhrawardi Udyan does not seem to be that hospitable to women unless accompanied by male family members or their partners. Many couples, most of them university students, are present in the park but groups of girls or women are extremely rare. During the fieldwork in September and October 2011, interviews made clear that most girls are afraid to enter the park alone or with a small group of girls. Stories about violence against women are frequently heard and numbers prove this fear is justified but often exaggerated.

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CELEBRATION OF FESTIVALS IN RAMNA AREA

In Ramna Area, an important cultural heart of Dhaka, festivities have a big influence on the atmosphere. Most festivities take place on the Main Stage of Ramna Area. Because of the changing nature of the social and economic structures, the nature of the festivals also changes. On the other hand, some of the festivals are that much of a rooted tradition that they are being celebrated generation after generation. The festival can be of political, natural, religious interest or maybe a mixture of these. Because of the variety of religions in Dhaka, not only the Muslim festivals are celebrated but also the Hindu festivals and festivals of other religions. Then again, other festivals are in the interest of the whole nation and sometimes even of transnational interest. Festivals such as Bangla New year, Nobanno Utsab of Bengal, Basanta Utsab, Victory Day and International Mother Language Day lures every year thousands and thousands of people regardless religion, political preference etc. 126

EKUSHEY BOOK FAIR - INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY In the month of February, the Ekushey Book Fair takes place. This Book Fair has its origin in the tribute to the men who died on 21 February 1952 in a demonstration against Urdu as the only state language of former East-Pakistan and also calling for the establishment of Bangla. This day became the International Mother Language Day.

mentioned that the Book Fair and International Mother Language day are festivals of national interest, that they unite the Bengali people and let them feel as one. Nuance is in place because probably not everybody from Bangladesh will celebrate along. [Tabassum 2011] These festivities are more in the interest of the Bengali people who identify their origin and nation with their language. On the other hand, the Bangladeshiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relate themselves with their Muslim religion and have not the same affection to this language-based festival. Therefore it can be said that this is a politically charged event, because of the interest of the Awami League, the party of Mujibur Rahman, and the opposite Muslim-based party BNP. The inauguration by Sheik Hasina of the Book Fair is one of the examples of how politically charged this place is. [The Daily Star 2011]

[Rafique 2006]

In the picture above it is clear that the site of Bangla Academy can handle the amount of people visiting the Book Fair. On an ordinary day the site gives an empty, uncrowded impression, which highly contrasts with a day during the month of February. The number of people shows the capacity of the site and gives the idea that the Bangla Academy complex could be used more intensively, also on a normal day. Furthermore because of the mass of interested people the road adjacent to the site of Bangla Academy, becomes the property of the pedestrian, no vehicles are allowed. On this occasion this pedestrian streets are visited by thousands of people. On International Mother Language Day itself, the 21st of February, demonstrations, processions and marches are on the program. These start at Shaheed Minar, the monument commemorating the lethal demonstration and the Language Movement. Some of the streets around Dhaka university and Shaheed Minar are therefore, converted into a pedestrian only zone. [The Daily Star 2010] Many people have the opinion and it is often

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Streets and space claimed by the Ekushey Book Fair

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Streets and space claimed by the demonstrations of the mother language day on 21st of February.

< Picture of the Book Fair stalls on the plot of Bangla Academy. [Mumit M.] < Map: Streets and space claimed by the Ekushey Book Fair. < Map: Streets and space claimed by the demonstrations of the International Mother Language Day on 21th of February. [The Daily Star 2010]

CELEBRATION OF FESTIVALS IN RAMNA AREA

In preparation for Poyela Boishakh, a fair is being held where, with traditional handy crafts, toys and gadgets are being made. This descends from the rural origin of Bengali New Year.

BENGALI NEW YEAR Bengali New Year, Pohela Boishakh, is being celebrated on the first day of the Bengali calendar which is on the 14th or 15th of April according the Western calendar. The interest for this festival goes beyond the borders of Bangladesh, the residents of Bangladesh are celebrating Bengali New year but also the residents of West Bengal (India). In Bangladesh it is a national festival. Bengalis regardless of their religious and regional differences come outside and celebrate together. They feel neither Hindu nor Muslim, they feel Bengali. This feeling has its origin way back. The festivities are closely linked with the rural life in Bangladesh. In the Mughal Period, the tax-paying farmers were not pleased because the harvest calendar did not coincide with the fiscal one. They had to pay taxes out of season. Therefore, a reform of the calendar was necessary. The new calendar was a combination of the lunar Hijri and Bangla solar calendars and hereby the new year was called Bengali year. From this moment on the celebrations started. On the first day of the year, the landlords treated their tenants with sweet, there were fairs and other festivities. It became part of the domestic and social life.

^ Picture of women making handicraft toys [Mumit M.] > Map: Streets and spaces claimed by Bengali New Year.

Not only the long-lasting tradition gives the Bangladeshi the united feeling. In an attempt to suppress the Bengali culture, the Pakistani government tried to ban one of the big tradition of Bengali New Year namely the Tagore songs in 1965. Not allowing the ban, Chhayanat (cultural organization in Bangladesh) organised a gathering under the Banyan Tree in Ramna Park with Tagore songs on New Years morning. Since then it is celebrated as a symbol of the Bengali culture. In collaboration with the revolt of Chhayanat and after the war in 1971 it became a national festival. Ramna Area in times of Bengali New Year is a charged place with national feelings. Dhaka university provides also an opening ceremony in the early morning, next to the tree in Ramna park, the Fine Arts Institute is a place for gathering and kick off of Bangla New Years Day. Some organisations

provide for performances, colourful processions and parades. For example the students of Dhaka University take care of the decoration, for some of the street marches and organise many events on their campus. To cope with the amount of people wanting to celebrate in Ramna Area, the streets are being transformed from traffic jammed streets to very busy pedestrian walkways. This means that the streets surrounding Dhaka University, the cultural belt and the parks are overcrowded. The streets and spaces of the Cultural Belt can absorb a big amount of people but a solution has to be found to redirect the traffic. The amount of people shows that the streets could handle a lot more then only traffic also on normal days. Maybe in a potential design the streets can be multifunctional. Questions are to be asked about the united feeling that Bengali New Year would evoke. From interviews it became clear that the perception on this festival is divided. People see it as a time and event of connection between all the people regardless origin, religion etc. This in contrast with people who find the event a masquerade, a delusion that every body feels equal. Even in the marches where everybody walks together, the differences are obvious. Another remark to be made is the origin of the Bengali Calendar. Bengali New Year is considered a national event nothing to do with religion, class, origin etc. despite the fact that the Bengali Calendar descends from first a Hindu Calendar that was adapted with a Muslim calendar. [Mohanta 2006]

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Streets and space claimed by Bengali New Year

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INDEPENDENCE DAY For the last 41 years, the Bangladeshi people are celebrating Independence Day on the 26th of March. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh and on this day in 1971 the liberation war started against the oppressive Pakistan nation and army. Nine months later, victory day will be celebrated. Independence day is considered to be a national festival, decided by President Ziaur Rahman in 1980. This day is an important day for every person living in Bangladesh. [Ahmed 2006a]

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VICTORY DAY Bijoy Dibosh in Bangla, is celebrated on the 16th of December, on this date in the year 1971, the Pakistan army surrendered to the Bangladesh army ending the 9 month-long Bangladesh Liberation War.

v On days of national interest the flag of Bangladesh is a common item. [Mumit M]

CELEBRATION OF FESTIVALS IN RAMNA AREA

NOBANNO UTSAB Nobanno Utsab of Bengal is a traditional annual event marking the harvest of the seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prime crop. The origin of the festival is more located in the rural areas of Bangladesh. Because of the shifting of many people from the rural areas to the urban areas like Dhaka, there is an ever-growing interest of the urban dwellers for Nobanno Utsab. The consequence is that in the capital this traditional festival is celebrated in style, especially in the Ramna Area at Dhaka University Campus. Every year, hundreds of girls and boys dress up with traditional dresses and attend the harvest festival held at the Institute of Fine Arts in the University Campus. The organizers provide the revellers with traditional performances, music and dance. Different rallies and camps are held and lots of traditional Pitha and Sweets are being sold. [Nion 2006]

BASANTA UTSAB Basanta Utsab, celebrates the arrival of the spring season, on Phalgun 1 of the Bangla calendar. This is the 13th of February on the Western calendar. Also this festival gets more and more attention from the urban dwellers of Dhaka city, nowadays this is a very popular festivity. On this day, the Ramna Area is again the centre point of celebration, more specific the Dhaka University and its nearby areas. For example in the Fine Arts Institute dances and songs are omnipresent, which creates altogether a very cheerful atmosphere. The main tradition of this festivity is the clothing of the revellers. The women wear yellow and red saris pimped with floral garlands, also the men bring out their most colourful punjabis, for them yellow and orange are the colours of the beginning of the spring. [thedailystar.net 2012]

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EID UL-FITR Eid Ul-Fitr is one of the two most important celebrations of the Muslim religion. It is the festival that celebrates the end of the month of fasting, the Ramadan. During this month the Muslims keep their feelings and urges in restraint. This month starts after the appearance of the new moon of the tenth month of the Islamic Calendar and closes on sighting the new moon of the next month, so Eid ul-fitr is not celebrated on one specific date. This festival lasts already a long lifetime. In its lifetime it changed sometimes of traditions or manner of celebration. For example during the Colonial period it was not celebrated with the same importance as now because of the absence of government patronage, poverty of the people and their ignorance about religion. Nowadays, it is returned to one of the biggest Muslim festivals. During these days -the government declares three days of holiday- everybody tries to dress up, prepare voluminous meals and get together with family, friends and neighbours. One of the main activities on these celebration days is the Eid Ul-Fitr prayer. Many people come together on several spots throughout the city. One of the most important spots to do the prayer is located in Ramna Area. There is one big open space in front of the Supreme Court buildings and in front of the Tomb of Hazrat Sharfuddin Chisty. This open space is called the National Eidgah. In the preparation towards the prayer, the National Eidgah is being upgraded by a construction of bamboo. Keeping in mind that Dhaka is highly populated by immigrated people from the rural areas, Dhaka seems very empty during Eid Ul-Fitr. There is enough time for them to take the public transport to go to their hometown and celebrate with their family and friends. During the three days, there are almost no traffic jams, no large crowds. Dhaka is transformed into a quiet city, almost a ghost city. [Ahmed & Ali 2006]

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CELEBRATION OF FESTIVALS IN RAMNA AREA

Durga Puja is the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community in Bengal. It is known that it is an old tradition but it is unknown how old it is. On the occasion of Durga Puja, the goddess is invoked on the sixth day of Aswin, the seventh month of the Hindu calendar. Puja is offered on the seventh, eighth and ninth day. The image of the goddess is immersed in water on the tenth day. The preparations for the immersion start in the morning of the tenth day but the immersion itself takes place at the evening. In long processions, the Hindu followers carry the self-made statue of Durga with the purpose to end at a pond, lake or river to immerse the goddess into the water. These celebrations are the standard celebrations in the rural areas, in the city this also takes place but in a lesser extent. During these celebrations, Dhaka is being decorated with temporary colorful facades of Hindu temples. [Bhowmik 2006]

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> Map of all the places that are being used far more intensively during the festivities then on normal days. v First picture : during many festivit, the streets are pedestrian only. Second picture : a gathering at the Banyan tree shows how many people Ramna Park can cope with. [Mumit M. 2011]

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CELEBRATION OF FESTIVALS IN RAMNA AREA

In Bangladesh, it is clear that because of the importance of the festivities, the people search for places where they can gather in big numbers. It is most common on these days to get on the streets and celebrate with other citizens. Ramna Area is obvious a very important gathering place during most of the festivals. First of all probably because of the two parks which provide a big amount of open space but also because of the surrounding organisations who manage the presence of the Cultural Belt. PERCEPTION OF SPACE During the Book Fair in February the streets surrounding Suhrawardi Udyan are used intensively and are only occupied by pedestrians. During Bangla New Year thousands of people gather at the Banyan and Ramna Park. These examples give an impression of how this open space can transform. It is not only the physical character that transforms but also the way the site is experienced and considered by the visitors. The fact that these visitors have seen the site in a different way, makes sure that they never will look at this place in the same way as before. The festivities form part of the perception of how they feel about this place, how they experience it. [Mowla 2006] The architecture and the buildings in the zone already provide the first impressions on the people but it is no longer the single image by which the city is perceived. The ever changing street-scape is constantly contributing to the perception, to the vision and here the best examples are the festivities. [Mehrotra n.d.] These festivities form part of the identity of Ramna Area. POTENTIAL For the festivities to continue, the place needs to have the space to cope with this big amount of people. The two big parks are the main open spaces where people can gather, but also the streets transform in a public gathering. The number of people that every festivity lures every year shows that the Ramna Area could cope with a lot more functions and a lot more people providing a number of adjustments.

However it is clear that in a potential design, the special places for each festivity have to be taken into account. Ramna Area and its surroundings have already a great potential with regard to space, but maybe it can be optimized. In the map on the left page the different spaces that are used for the different festivities described above are brought together to illustrate that these spaces have more potential in comparison with how they are currently used. RELIGION AND CULTURE Another interesting aspect that can be highlighted concerning festivities is the difference in culture and religion and how the people deal with them. The percentage of the population is highly Muslim dominated. Only 9,6% is Hindu, 89,5% is Muslim. [CIA factbook 2012] It is obvious that a Muslim festivity would attract almost the whole population because of the dominating percentage. On the other hand, when a Hindu festival is being celebrated, decorations appear throughout the whole of Dhaka. The presence of the number of people in Ramna Area, during a Hindu festival like Durga Puja is not strikingly less then during a Muslim festival and this despite the number of Hindus. On the religious holidays not only the people of that religion enjoy the festivities and celebrations but also the people of other religions take these days off. On festivities such as Bangla New Year, that is considered as a national festival, religion does not matter. Every Bangladeshi is celebrating. Keeping these considerations in mind it is possible to conclude that there is a big tolerance in between the Muslims, Hindus and other religions. [See Booklet History, Segregation Muslim-Hindu] The fact that most people of Bangladesh also have the Bengali culture in common, notwithstanding their religion, it is not easy to distinguish Hinduâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s from Muslims.

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COURT ZONE This zone is named Court Zone because this zone is dominated by judicial buildings. The building that is most prominent and sets the tone for the other buildings is the New Supreme Court Building. The non-judicial buildings that are located in the Court Zone are less outstanding. They are even mostly invisible from the street. This invisibility also applies for the slum that is located between Suhrawardi Udyan and the Old Supreme Court Building. There is possibility to enter the site of the Supreme Court buildings through four entrances. 135

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COURT ZONE

Institute of Engineers

Bar Council Building New Supreme Court Building

Supreme Court Bar Association Library Slum

Tomb of Hazrat Sharfudding Chisty

Haji Shahbaz Khan

Old Supreme Court Building

Shishu Academy

Mausoleum of Three Leaders

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NEW SUPREME COURT BUILDING BAR COUNCIL BUILDING As mentioned above, there are four entrances. The two entrances 1 & 2 on the map, that lead to the New Supreme Court Building and the Bar Council Building are not intensively used. The impressive white, two-storey building with in the middle an occupant dome tries to convey the importance and status of the Supreme Court and gets reinforced by the long and wide driveway to reach the building. The entrance that leads to the Bar Council Building has the same characteristics. Both driveways are flanked by an out of scale front yard that also gives the Supreme Court more prestige. Unfortunately these big chunks of green open space are not very intensively used despite of the amount of trees and shade. The status of the Supreme Court also has its share in the lack of people, the impressiveness deters and keeps people away. Also the fact that the greenery is not accommodated, does not attract people. There is no bench to sit on or no vendors selling foods and drinks.

IN-BETWEEN SPACE The most used entrance of the four is entrance 3 on the map. It is remarkable that this entrance is the most used one because it does not lead to the entrances of the buildings itself but it leads to the backside of the New Supreme Court Building. The in-between space of all the Supreme Court Buildings is intensively used by lots of different people. It is used by rickshaw pullers, slum dwellers, lawyers, judges, people who need advise etc. The space between the backside of the Court Zone and Suhrawardi Udyan is separated by one big wall. The fact that the Zones are split up creates two backsides, the backside of Suhrawardi Udyan, ‘no man’s land’, and at the same time the backside of the Court Zone. Considering there is no reason to visit one of these spaces, these are lost spaces in the Ramna Area. Because of the presence of the wall the connection between the Park Zone, the Court Zone and the Cultural Belt is not what it potentially possesses. The Court Zone is directed away from the other zones, which makes the Court zone no part of the Main Stage.

^ Entering the Supreme Court plot using entrance 2, this view will appear. [Bakhshi 2010] v Panorama of the in-between space.

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^ The wall seen from Suhrawardi Udyan, with the Bar Council Building behind it.

^ Eidgah during the preparations for Eid Ult-Fitr.

EIDGAH During the year the Eidgah-square is not an intensively used space despite the trees at the boundaries that provide shade. However the days before Eid Ul-Fitr [See Booklet Ramna Area, Celebration of Festivals, Eid Ul-Firt] the place is being transformed. Days before the celebrations workers start to build up a construction that will later act as a roof for one big space for prayer. The most prestigious of society are allowed to pray together on the Eidgah. After the prayer the construction will be removed and the Eidgah is returned into the normal grass field for another year. The people attach the importance and the memory of the Eid Ul-Fitr to the Eidgah and consider it throughout the whole year as a holy place. This square may be an empty grassy field during the year but it is the movement of the people who give this space its value, in this case the movement of the people, the kinetic city is the Eid Ul-Fitr festivity. [Mehrotra n.d.] [Mowla 2006]

TOMB OF HAZRAT SHARFUDDIN CHISTY The tomb of Hazrat Sharfuddin Chisty is located in front of the Eidgah. For Muslims this is holy ground and a place of prayer despite the fact that nothing is known about the person buried here. Some say it is a relative of the first Mughal Governor of Dhaka, others say it is the Governor himself who is buried here. Different stories linger on but none of them are confirmed. [Dani 2009] SLUM In between the Old Supreme Court Building and Suhrawardi Udyan a slum is located. It seems to be contradictory that an informal settlement is allowed to stay at the back of a judicial important place. They are tolerated because of the collaboration between the two and this lead to an agreement. Many of these slum dwellers work in the Supreme Court Buildings. The slum can be entered from the Supreme Court plot but also from the west of the Court Zone. To enter the slum you pass the Three Leaders monument and the Haji Shahbaz Khan Mosque [See Booklet Ramna Area, Cultural Belt, Mausoleum of Three Leaders and Haji Shahbaz Khan Mosque].[Habib 2012]

Backside of Court Zone Backside of Suhrawardi Udyan Wall Unused frontyard + Eidgah In-between space

500m

138

‘DEMOCRATIC’ ZONE

This zone is called ‘Democratic’ Zone because it is the commonly used name for this zone. In 1905, a good number of residential houses were built in the Minto Road area for High Court judges and high-ranking bureaucrats (Environment of capital Dhaka). Even though the country and its system changed enormously during the last century, the Minto Road that is part of the Democratic Zone is still claimed by the high-class government officials. The difference between the residential areas throughout Dhaka and the Democratic Zone, which is also a residential area, is striking. First of all, only with one look on the map, the difference in density is clear. The buildings are surrounded by large pieces of green and open space, which is often called, ‘a house in a garden’ and gives in comparison with other residential areas in Dhaka, a very low density of buildings. Another privilege they enjoy, next to the low density, are the facilities that are provided in between the boundaries of the zone, which are reserved only for the residents. The whole zone is encircled by mostly walls and sometimes fences. It is possible, as a non-governmental official to enter the intersecting roads. Even on these roads, walls with a few entrances are the only view you have, despite of the amount of green. The exclusivity is fostered by physical and mental boundaries. The threshold to enter is very high. This is also one of the examples the pieces of land that are claimed by the upper group of society. These pieces of land could be used better and more intense. Dhaka has a lack of open and green space that is open for the public and can be used by every group of society. The people who are in possession of open space or less dense areas do not want to share because open space in Dhaka city is a precious good.

139

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‘DEMOCRATIC’ ZONE

Quarters for Ministers and High Officials

Official’s Club

Telecommunication Building Jamuna State Guest House

Quarters for Ministers and High Officials Shugandha State Guest House

Chief Justice’s Residence

500m

140

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’DEMOCRATIC’ ZONE

SCENERY AND PLAY_

POTENTIAL

V Picture showing a busy street entering the ‘Democratic’ Zone early in the morning. A lot of government officials living in the ‘Democratic’ zone come to the adjacent Ramna Park to jog or do exercises in the morning.

The ‘Democratic’ Zone comprises a huge piece of land with low density buildings and the question arises if this area cannot be used for other purposes. However the potential of the area is not that high. Most of the buildings are residences for rich bureaucrats and so are characterised by a monofunctional use. If the adjacent park area would expand in this direction this would lead to significant conflicts between park users and residents. Besides, this area’s appearance is definitely more private than the park areas. People are not invited to go through the area not to mention to stay and pass time inside the ‘democratic’ Zone.

DEMOCRACY?

Why is this place called the Democratic Zone by many citizens in Dhaka? It is not because of the government officials residences that are situated here that the place becomes more democratic than the rest of the city. Rather in Bangladesh, where corruption and conspiracy from the policy makers is well known, this place maybe is the most authoritative one.

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CAMPUS AREA

Dhaka University was founded in 1921 and is the oldest and largest university of Dhaka. It started as a modest institute in Ramna Area and expanded to its present volume during the years. It is interwoven with cultural buildings of the Cultural Belt. The university claimed and appropriated a big part of this cultural space but a more versatile look also indicates the contribution of Dhaka University to the cultural entity of this area. On the other hand, the relation between the Campus and the park area is missing. It seems that there is a threshold between these two. The first kind of threshold is the double physical boundary. Fences and walls enclose big parts of the campus and the two parks. These boundaries make it more difficult to pass from one site to another despite the fact that they are adjacent. The Campus area is well provided with spaces where you can play football or cricket, places where you can hang around and relax and some food corners. In interviews with a few students, they said they rather did not go to the park. The first reason is that they are provided well with everything they need and the second reason is that there are rumours that it can be dangerous. This too is a vicious circle, if it can be dangerous, why should people go there and if they do not go there they never will be convinced of safety. 143

500m

CAMPUS AREA

Dhaka University and BUET

Faculty of Business

Arts Faculty

Fine Arts Institute

Central Mosque

Dhaka University Library

Nilkhet Teachers Quarter

Teacher Student Centre

Jagannath Hall (DU)

Sir Salimullah Muslim Hall (DU) Old Academic Building (BUET) New Academic Building (BUET)

Curzon Hall

Central Auditorium (BUET)

Shahid Smriti Hall (BUET)

Shahidullah Hall (DU)

500m

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CAMPUS AREA

SCENERY AND PLAY_

CULTURALLY IMPORTANT So one can say that the university site is an entity on its own but still contributes to the cultural scene. Next to the cultural important buildings, a big part of the university site is occupied with dormitories. The dormitories are separated for men and women. On the whole campus area women are omnipresent, more than in other parts of the city. It is even remarkable that women on the Campus often wear jeans, which cannot be said for other parts of the city and it looks as they feel safe and comfortable. The parks have a reputation of being dangerous and many students claim they do not go to the park areas but the observations pointed out that young people, probably students, are notably present in the parks. A reason for this misconception about the park can be found in the fact that the students in the parks often do things not approved by religion or state. They spend intimate time with their girlfriend or boyfriend and they experiment with drugs.

CURZON HALL Constructed in 1904 this building, named after Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, is a great example of an Indo-Saracenic style or late Indo-Gothic style which can be characterised by a Gothic approach with an Indian form. [Mowla 2011] Meant to be a town hall, this building was used as a premise of Dhaka College after 1911. With the establishment of Dhaka University in 1921 it became part of the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s science section as it is until today. With its mixture of European and Mughal elements it is a great example of Dhakaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture. The north facade shows this happy blend of different styles with both horse-shoe and cusped arches. Later on Curzon Hall attained a great significance in history as one of the places where students protested in 1948 in the Language Movement.[Hasan 2006]

BUET Campus is also interwoven with Dhaka University Campus and the atmospheres overlap a lot. BUET is one of the oldest engineering institutions in this region and has a better reputation than Dhaka University. Because of the ambition to gain a better reputation, there is rivalry between the two universities. As BUET is located a bit further from TSC, the BUET students are separated from the busy TSC and the adjacent Suhrawardi Udyan park. Furthermore the campus is totally fenced and guards man the entrances. As a result BUET students tend to stay in their more private environment.

> View from the north facade of the Curzon Hall. The building is laid out in a spacious and carefully maintained garden.

The presence of the student campus plays an important role in public life of Ramna Area. Students from Dhaka University are very committed to engage in cultural events and festivities in the Ramna Area. These festivities are celebrated by huge amounts of people from all over Dhaka, this providing the area its general character.

< One of the many dormitories on the University Campus.

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OTHERS The buildings in this category are buildings that did not fit in any of the groups above, but still play an important role for the activity in Ramna Area. 147

500m

OTHERS

Ruposhi Bangla Hotel BSMMU Hospital Dhaka Club BIRDEM Tennis Complex

New Market

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission

British Council

Banghabandhu National Stadium Baitul Mukarram Mosque DU Medical College

Nagar Bhaban Ramna Gate

500m

148

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SCENERY AND PLAY_OTHERS

DHAKA CLUB On the northern corner of the Racecourse the Dhaka Club was established in 1911 to accommodate the Europeans and provide them a home abroad. [See Booklet Introduction, History, British Crown] Originally Dhaka Club served the cultural and recreational needs of the Europeans. Soon after its establishment, Dhaka Club shifted from an all-white association into a premier elitist social association. Although white dominance persisted until 1947. [Dhaka Club 2010] In 1941 Dhaka Club comprised 700,000 square metres of land, which was used to develop a racecourse, a golf course, the club buildings and playgrounds. The influence and importance of the club has diminished the last decades. A testimony for this evolution is the reduction in the surface of its territory. Nowadays it has only about 20,000 square metres of land in its control, since the rest has been overtaken by the government of Bangladesh by acquisition. [Islam 2006]

• Half pants/Shorts • Half pants/Shorts • Fabrics Shoes • Sports shoes/sneakers (after 6 P.M.) ^ The two pictures on top show the peculiar golf pitches in Suhrawardi Udyan who are entirely encircled with barbed wire. It tries to seal off the well maintained grass pitches from the daily visitors. Underneath the pictures a scanned dress code for Dhaka Club is placed. The dress code contains a few points that list up what people are not allowed to wear on the premises of Dhaka Club. Quite a harsh and direct way to exclude others. [Fieldwork3]

Dhaka Club is quite luxurious. This space does not only has facilities for meetings and seminars. It tries to please the members and visitors also with hall rooms, guest-rooms, kitchens and dining rooms, playing courts and rooms for table tennis, billiards, cards, squash, and lawn tennis, and a swimming pool. At present the club primarily focuses on cultural activities. The members have to pay each year fees in return for their membership and after going through the list of facilities the fees will not be reasonable. The club is outnumbered by men, with only 50 women members out of a total membership of 1,500. So this club can be described as an male association. Surprisingly, in 2004 for the first time in Dhaka Club’s history, a female was appointed president of the club.

Nevertheless Dhaka Club still has an extra-ordinary privilege granted by the government. In the south-west corner of Suhrawardi Udyan a golf course is located that is exclusively used by Dhaka Club members and this zone is named ‘no man’s land’. [See Actors and Play, Local Segregation] When members of Dhaka Club are playing golf, other visitors of the park are driven away and kept at a distance. This intolerant behaviour mainly happens in the weekends. On top of that the golf pitches are spanned with barbed wire. It is a good thing that the higher class of society has an avenue for leisure, recreation and sport and therefore Dhaka Club meets their requirements. But it is questionable if the location nearby Suhrawardi Udyan and Ramna Park is appropriate if the members of Dhaka Club just want to retreat themselves. Anyway history has determined its position.

TENNIS COMPLEX In 1972, the Bangladesh Tennis Federation was founded with as primal purpose to make tennis more popular in the country. Five years later the federation created a National Tennis Complex in between Dhaka Club and Ramna Park. [Faroqi 2006] The upset of the National Tennis Complex is similar to the one of Dhaka Club. Only people a few people with a membership card can get access to the facilities of the National Tennis Complex. As a consequence only wealthy citizens have the possibility to play tennis. Nevertheless the tennis complex works well for its intended purpose.

[Global Directions 2004]

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SCENERY AND PLAY_OTHERS

BIRDEM In Bangladesh diabetes is an emerging epidemic. Logically a developing country like Bangladesh cannot afford to sustain the huge loss of productive life years associated with diabetic complications. The diabetes association has a central institute called the Bangladesh Institute of Research & Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM), a diabetes care and research complex at Shahbag, Dhaka. The provided care is free of charge to all registered diabetes patients, independent from their economic and social background. [Rahman 2006d]

^ Due to the lack or even absence of qualitative outdoor spaces on the premises of the hospitals, the visitors and patients linger around on the pavements nearby the medical buildings.

BIRDEM is located on the north-east corner of Shahbag-Node and the premises are almost completely built up, leaving no valuable outdoor space behind. Additionally the building blocks comprise four levels or more, thus the density of people is immense. Because of the renowned image of the clinic people from all over Dhaka are looking for a cure in this clinic. The sum up of the previously mentioned elements put a lot of pressure on the traffic during consulting hours. The visitors and patients mainly repose in Ramna Park and a smaller number resort to Suhrawardi Udyan, but in general the flow of people to the parks is negligible. Instead their activity radius is limited to the sidewalks nearby the clinic. The vendors respond to this by installing their shops at the entrances of the clinic and as a result more people are attracted. Eventually you get trapped into a chicken-and-egg situation.

BSMMU HOSPITAL Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) is the first medical university established in 1999 in Bangladesh. The university is constructed on the foundations of Hotel Shahbag, a international hotel built by Dhaka Nawab Family. The campus is relatively compact and has 1500 beds to offer to patients. It has a compact campus with a 1500 bedded hospital. On the ground level at the road side 30 pharmacists have their shops in a gallery that belongs to the building of the hospital. [Ahmed 2006b] The hospital is constituted by 3 parallel oblong high rise building blocks separated by outdoor spaces. Pitifully the outdoor spaces are not attracting and are mainly determined by cars. It is the same story like in BIRDEM. Even though Suhrawardi Udyan and Ramna Park are nearby, the visitors and patients very seldom enjoy the greenery of those parks. The result is that nowadays Shahbag-Node is overloaded and attracts a whirlpool of people. If the flow of patients and visitors to Ramna Park and Suhrawardi Udyan can happen more fluently in the future, then Shahbag-Node will be discarded and less chaotic. Undeniably Shahbag-Node has a lot of potential, but the combination of nonstop traffic and improvised markets on the pavements is too much to handle and creates sometimes precarious situations.

152

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DHAKA UNIVERSITY ZONE_

DU MEDICAL COLLEGE

Dhaka Medical College and Hospital is founded by the British rulers in 1946. The hospital focuses in the development of medical science and health care delivery. [The Daily Star 2009] Is quite a task to get in the medical college. After taking the entrance examination, 200 students, only a fraction of the 36000 applicants, are accepted to the college. Because of the high standards the students of Dhaka Medical College belong to an exclusive group. The official site profiles itself the following way: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dhaka Medical College aspires to produce elite citizens with a high standard of professionalism...â&#x20AC;&#x2122; [DMC 2008]

^ The upper picture indicates the omnipresence of women and children visiting DU Medical College. Observations and interviews pointed out that mostly poorer families were attracted by the medical college and that they were dressed more traditionally in Hijaab and even in Burka. In the bottom picture the vibrant atmosphere strikes the eye with numerous rickshaws and food stalls.

Initially the female students had to sleep in their own homes but in 1952 eventually a hostel for girls was established. Today the amount of female and male students are in equilibrium, this is in great contrast with the initial situation when there were none. The amount of females students is increasing day by day. [The Daily Star 2009]

The history of the college coincides in some way with the history of Bangladesh because it was involved in all major emancipation activities of the country. Its dormitory was the heart of the Language Movement from 1948 to 1952 due to its strategic position. During the military government of Ayub Khan, another dormitory served as a refuge for political opponents. They were also involved in the war of independence, some in the battlefield, others by treating injured fighters. [The Daily Star 2009] The history of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital indicates the engagement of the students in sociopolitical life of Bangladesh and the participation in democracy. [See Booklet Public Space, Defining Public Space, Zooming out] They are not afraid to fight for their rights and the rights of others. Their role in society cannot be underestimated because they will be the future leaders of the country.

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would be provided. [Amin 2006]

BANGABANDHU NATIONAL STADIUM It is only recently that Dhaka appears in the international sport scene. Also national sport is an important activity and occupation among the people of Bangladesh. Cricket and soccer are as much played as viewed and are of big interest. Bangladesh is recognised in the international cricket scene. The bangabandu national stadium is being used to host all these events and especially the cricket games. Because of that, visitors of the stadium and the surrounding are not only Ramna locals but also Dhaka citizens. [Chowdhury 2006] Morfologically the stadium is part of the Ramna Area but the athmospheres differ.

The fact that this mosque was built with such an attention and that there was such a big plot available on an important location, is no coincidence. The former East-Pakistan claimed to be a Muslim nation despite the other religions who were present in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangabandhu National Stadium and the Baitul Mukarram Mosque are located next to each other. The presence of those two along with the surrounding commercial area makes this region also a place of interest next to Ramna Area. Ramna Area is certainly not a commercial city centre but at the east side the Stadium-Mosque area is located and at the west side New Market is present.

Beneath the stadium a big commercial area is located. The circumference of the stadium is totally occupied with electronic shops.

BAITUL MUKARRAM MOSQUE The Baitul Mukarram Mosque is the national Mosque of Bangladesh. In 1960 the construction work started. Because of the magnitude of the building, the construction works were realised in phases. The location of the new mosque was in-between Old and New Dhaka and next to the central business district of the city. The main idea was to make a large complex with not only a mosque but also shops, offices, a library and parking space. Lots of money, lots of place and an impressive architecture, without losing the traditional principles of mosque architecture,

155

NEW MARKET The complex is also built in the former East Pakistan in 1952-54. The purpose was to provide the citizens of Dhaka who established themselves in Dhanmondi residential area and Azimpur, with a commercial complex. Nowadays New Market has become one of the most popular commercial complexes in Bangladesh. It attracts people from all over Dhaka and even from all over Bangladesh. The complex is equipped with 469 shops with many different items. The shoppers can find most of their requirements in the stores of New Market and the little shops on the surrounding streets. [Rahman 2006b] New Market and its monumental entrance are an important landmark of Dhaka city.

OTHERS

BRITISH COUNCIL The British council claims that its purpose is to create international opportunities for and trust between the people of the UK and other countries worldwide. [British Council 2012] The fact that it is located in Ramna Area is remarkable because of the history. Their position now is a discrete building which is totally in contrast with the colonial and postcolonial architecture the British have built. These buildings were a sign of power and were built to claim the power. Nowadays the British only want to keep a good connection with for example Bangladesh. They try to contribute in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, educational system and culture. They do not want to regain power but neither want to break the connection.

< Pictures in left column, top: Bangabandhu National Stadium [Global Sports Media 2012] bottom: Baitul Mukarram Mosque. < Picture in right column: New Market [Skycrapercity 2006] > Pictures in left column. Top: British Council. Bottom: Nagar Bhaban. > Picture in right column: Ramna Gate

RAMNA GATE One of the most unremarkable but oldest structures in the city is Ramna Gate. It is Historical heritage that dates from the Mughal Period. The gate was build for safeguarding the city but soon the city expanded. [Mishu 2010] Nowadays the gate has no function and is left uncared. The surrounding green is growing and blocks the sight of the Historical monument. Also the Mausoleum of Three Leaders located next to the gate claims all the attention. Ramna Gate is a piece of historical patrimony that is forgotten. Maybe the recent history is too present in the peoples minds?

NAGAR BHABAN Nagar Bhaban is a 15 storey building which contains offices, a bank, meeting rooms, a museum, dining facilities, a prayer hall and public terraces. It is a governmental building and houses DCC, Dhaka City Corporation. DCC is a corporation that is associated with the task of running the affairs concerning different aspects of the city, for example urban planning, public safety etc. In the year 2011 DCC has been divided into Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Coporation (DNCC). The building has an impressive architecture due to the height and the monumentality. In front of Nagar Bhaban, an intensively used park is located. It is almost too busy for hanging around in a quiet and green open space. [DCC 2012]

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By going through the scenery of Ramna Area, an overview is made of the value of the different buildings and the sites they are located on. Not only the built space, ‘the scenery’, is taken into consideration but also ‘the play’, how the people interact with the architecture. Using the potential barrel [See Booklet Introduction, Structure], every value of every building and site is assigned. For every plot is decided how full or empty its barrel is. The potential gradient will be used design-oriented. If this barrel is full (= green colour) it means that the plot has not much potential left, there are not much possibilities for interventions or the interventions would not upgrade the place. One can state that the site is being used at its ‘full’ potential. If the barrel is empty (= yellow colour), a lot of interventions are possible. The present situation can use an upgrade. The site is not being used as it could be used, at its ‘full’ potential. It has to be mentioned that no plot can have a totally full barrel. A place where no intervention can change and improve the place is unrealistic and even not necessary. Nevertheless the fullest colour is used in the map assigning these places have a private character where intervention are not possible. The map on the right page forms a good foundation for the upcoming design process. The potential gradient is only applied on the Mainstage of Ramna Area because this will be the subject of the design. 157

POTENTIAL MAP

REFERENCES

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ISLAMIC ACADEMY. (n.d.). Tableeghi Jamaat Exposed. Retrieved on May 8, 2012 from http://www.islamicacademy.org/html/Articles/English/Tableeghee%20Jma%27at.htm KAMAL, Nancy, (2011), Health Need and its Provisions of Street Children of Bangladesh, Retrieved on 13 May, 2012 from http://www.restlessbeings.org/projects/dhaka-street-children/health-need-and-its-provisions-of-street-children-of-bangladesh MEHROTRA, Rahul. (n.d.). Kinetic City: Issues for Urban Design in South Asia. In: Shannon K., Gosseye J. (Eds.), Reclaiming the Urbanism of Mumbai. Amsterdam: SUN. GLOBAL MOBILITY ARTICLES AND STUDIES, (2012), 2010 Quality of Living worldwide city rankings: Mercer survey, Retreived on May 11,2012 from http://www.articles.totallyexpat.com/2010-quality-of-living-worldwide-city-rankings-mercer-survey/ METCALF, B., (1996), Islam and women: the case of the tablighi jama`at, In SEHR, Volume 5, Issue 1, Retrieved on May 8, 2012 from http://www.stanford.edu/group/SHR/5-1/text/metcalf.html MISHU, Md Mashrur Rahman. (2010). The Daily Star. (2012). Historic Dhaka city: Past glory and present crisis. Retrieved on May 13, 2012 from http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=149689 MOHANTA, Sambaru Chandra, (2006), Shalpakala Academy. Retrieved on May 13, 2012 from http://www.banglapedia.org/httpdocs/HT/B_0247.HTM MOWLA, Qazi Azizul, (2006), Memory Association in Place making: Understanding an Urban Space. Protibesh, Environment, Journal of the Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh Volume 10, Issue 1, Pages 42-51. MOWLA, Qazi Azizul, (2011). Urban Aesthetics: A Study on Dhaka, In “400 Years of Capital Dhaka and Beyond”, HAFIZ, R., RABBANI, G. & Ahmed, S.U. (Eds.), (2010), Dhaka, Bangladesh: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. NION, Tazmia Islam, (2006), Nobanno Utsab of Bengal, Retrieved on May 11, 2012 from http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2006/12/01/feature_nobanno.htm PARK, Robert E.& BURGES, W. Ernest, (1921), Introduction to Science of Sociology. Chicago, United States. The University of Chicago POYNTZ Ian, (1924), Rootsweb, Retrieved on 12 May, 2012 on from http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~poyntz/India/images/Dacca1924.jpg PWD, (2008), Public Works Department, Retrieved on April 20, 2012 from http://www.pwd.gov.bd/ QURAISHI A.R. (1960). Surveyor General of Pakistan. British Library. Dhaka, Bangladesh. Survey of Pakistan Offices. RAHMAN, Shafiq, (2005a), Swings, slides and relics of the past. Retrieved on the March 23, 2012 from http://www.probenewsmagazine.com/index.php?index=2&contentId=390&PHPSESSID=d%3Fref%3D3b.org RAHMAN, Shafiq, (2005b), TSC, a hub of culture and more..., Retrieved on April 28, 2012 from http://www.probenewsmagazine.com/index.php?index=2&contentId=599 RAHMAN, S. M. Mahfuzur, (2006a), Institution of engineers, Bangladesh. Retrieved on May 13, 2012 from http://www.banglapedia.org/httpdocs/HT/I_0075.HTM

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FIELDWORK CHOWDHURY, Kashef Mahboob, (September 2011). Interview - Arch. (Liberation War Museum, Dhaka in cooperation with TABASSUM, Marina; Masterplan Suhrawardi Udyan, Dhaka in cooperation with TABASSUM, Marina, Dhaka). Dhaka, Bangladesh. FIELDWORK1, (2011), Observations in Ramna Area from August 21 till October 23. FIELDWORK2, (September 2011), International ASRO Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - VLIR - BUET - IAB’s Workshop on 11, 12, 13, 14 September, [Re]visiting Ramna/[Re]mapping the place. Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. HABIB, Kishwar, (September2012), Cooperation - Ph.D researcher in the Department of Architecture and Urbanism, Leuven, Belgium ISMAIL, A.S.M, (September 2011), Interview - Present Chief Architect of the Department of Architecture - Ministry of Housing & Public Works, Dhaka, Bangladesh. KHAN, Nurur Rahman, (September 20121, Visit of the Fine Arts Institute and interview - Arch. Tanya Karim NR Khan & Associates (New Building Bangla Academy, Dhaka), Director of the ‘Muzharul Islam Archive’, Dhaka, Bangladesh. KHAN, Nurur Rahman, (September 2011), Visit/Interview Public Library and Tomb of Kazi Nazrul Islam - Arch. Tanya Karim NR Khan & Associates (New Building Bangla Academy, Dhaka), Director of the ‘Kazi Nazrul Islam Archive’. TABASSUM, Marina, (Oktober 2011), Interview - Founder and Principal Architect of Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA). ZAHIRUDDING, Shah Alam, (September 2011), Interview - Former Chief Architect of the Department of Architecture - Ministry of Housing & Public Works, Dhaka, Bangladesh 163

PICTURE CREDITS BAKHSHI, Shameem, (2010), Bangladesh Supreme Court, Ramna, Dhaka, Retrieved on May 13, 2012 from http://www.geolocation.ws/v/P/35779205/bangladesh-supreme-court-ramna-dhaka/en GLOBAL SPORTS MEDIA, (2012), Picture of Bangabandhu National Stadium, Retrieved on May 14, 2012 from http://nl.soccerway.com/teams/bangladesh/sheikh-jamal-dhanmondi-club/ KHAN, Nurur Rahman, (September 2012), Arch. Tanya Karim NR Khan & Associates (New Building Bangla Academy, Dhaka). Director of the ‘Muzharul Islam Archive’ TABASSUM, Marina, (Oktober 2011), Founder and Principal Architect of Marina Tabassum Architects. MUMIT, M., (2011), Official photographer of the cultural section of the Daily Star newspaper. SKYCRAPERCITY, (2006), Retrieved on May 14, 2012 from http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=134720&page=4

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As the name presumes, this booklet zooms in on Ramna Area. Therefore the metaphor of a theatreplay is used. Ramna Area is not just a clear-cut zone. As a matter of fact, officially, there is not such a thing as Ramna Area. ‘What are the limits of the Ramna Area?’ is the main question of The Stage. In Actors and Play Ramna is interpreted from the actor’s point of view. Who are they? How do they act? How do they interact? To conclude the physical environment is analyzed in Scenery and Play. In this chapter the analysis does not only focus on architecture but also on the play that takes place between the architectural elements.

TRANSCENDING THE LIMITS OF PUBLIC LIFE IN RAMNA AREA A DESIGN INVESTIGATION IN DHAKA, BANGLADESH BOOKLET 3 - Ramna Area Authors: Bernard Forier, Bruno Ronsmans, Thomas Raskin & Karolien Peeters Promotor: Prof. Ir. Bruno De Meulder Local Promotor: Prof. Dr. Qazi Azizul Mowla Co-promotor: Prof. Dr. Ir. Hilde Heynen Assessor: Arch. Leo Van Broeck Guidance: Kishwar Habib