RASULBAGH SHISHU PARK | Shatotto

Rasulbagh Children’s Park is a revitalized public project located dense fabric of Old Dhaka. As part of the “Jol Shobuj E Dhaka” initiative taken by the Dhaka South City Corporation, the project breathed new life into this previously abused and poorly maintained public space.

The park is accessible only by narrow alleyways between the dense conglomeration of buildings. The residents suffered from limited mobility, especially during the monsoons when the area gets heavily flooded and becomes unsanitary due to the lack of effective drainage. The park was walled off from the north side and used by vagrants and drug abusers for illicit activities, which deterred local families and children from visiting the park and the adjacent mosque on the southeast side. The wall was used as a support for unlicensed stalls and shops, and an old, abandoned building stood in disrepair on the west side of the premises, serving no real purpose. The park was a source of pain for the community both functionally and socially.

The project addressed these issues through careful planning and an intensive cooperative effort with the locals. The philosophy of the project was the revival of the lost, instilling a sense of “Trust & Respect” among the residents of the area. So, the dismantling of the north wall, not only created a round the clock accessibility and vigilance but also inculcated faith and honour among the community.

A 150-meter peripheral walkway was devised with an aqua trench to collect 450,000 litres of water considering 200mm rain per day per hour in monsoon. This innovative rainwater harvesting and filtration system not only solved the problem of flooding but also availed drinking water for the residents, free of cost as “a gift from the park”. Having been developed alongside the community itself, the park is a representation of the very kind of social cohesiveness it aimed to foster. To ensure an environmentally friendly and visually beautiful space, existing trees were preserved and a host of new trees and plants were planted (mostly by the local children). This improved the quality of air in the area as these trees provided shade and absorbed heat and excess water while also acting as a sort of open-to-sky school for children. A didactic learning environment was created so that these children could learn about the flowers, fruits, and birds from one's own surroundings. The philosophy was “let the children run after butterflies, and not drugs”. It became a source of celebration for the denizens of Rasulbagh.

The abandoned building, now repurposed and renovated, houses the filter apparatus for the rainwater management system and also features a women’s club, library, gym, councilor’s office, coffee shop, and public restrooms. Since the park belongs to its community, it is managed and maintained by a team of locals with monetary assistance from Shatotto. This paves the way for the community to envision a future where “the giggling's of the children is the music for their community”.