Following the completion of relocating the Dhaka Central Jail to Keraniganj in Dhaka, the government is planning to establish a modern training institute, a shopping zone, a museum, a park and a mega size pond with walkways surrounding it on the land of the old Dhaka Central Jail at Nazimuddin Road.
Though there was a plan to establish a training center and accommodation facilities for the jail police, the Prime Minister asked the authorities to construct a high-rise shopping mall, gymnasium, a convention centre and a play ground on the abandon place, officials concerned to the Home Ministry said.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal admitted the plan of the government while talking to the Daily Observer recently.
The Minister said after relocation of the central jail, the abandon place remains unused. The government wants to use the land properly, as no one can grab it for their own purpose.
As a result, the government will dig a mega size pond establish a museum and a park along with walkways on the abandon land of the old Central Jail. At the same time, a modern high-rise shopping mall will also be built there, he added.
He said the museum will be established comprising prison cells, where Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and four national leaders were housed during their political activities. The cells (room) will be renovated as those were earlier and the memorials of the veteran leaders will be preserved there for public.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and four national leaders - Tajuddin Ahmed, Syed Nazrul Islam, AHM Kamruzzaman and M Monusr Ali - spent many valuable years of their lives inside this jail.
"A big size pond will be dug there with sufficient fresh water for the local people that can be used in case of any emergency. The banks and its adjacent areas will be used for establishing a park and walkways as the people of the area can get fresh air and jogging space. Space for a play ground will also be kept. The design will change the environment of the area," he added.
He said the plan and design of the comprehensive project will be prepared soon. A consortium of architects is working to prepare the plan and design as it can be implemented immediately.
The government has completed relocation of the old central jail on Friday and Saturday last. After the relocation, the busiest place of the area now stands as a silent spectator of history but without any prisoners after about 228 years of its inception.
In 1788, Dhaka Central Jail was constructed on Nazimuddin Road in old Dhaka.
According to Ministry sources, the above mentioned structures will l be constructed after demolishing the existing buildings of the old jail.
In 1980, the then government had taken initiative to shift Dhaka Central Jail. In 1994, the authorities concerned planned to construct two jails. Of those, Kashimpur Jail building in Gazipur was constructed much earlier and started its function. But the jail building in Keraniganj was constructed recently.
Sheikh Mujib was detained in this jail for launching the historic six-point movement, he was taken at dead of night to Kurmitola Cantonment and made the principal accused in the infamous Agartola conspiracy case.
Nazimuddin Road stood as the symbol of punishment to real criminals. But it was a place of torture for many famous leaders. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and others were detained here for long for raising voice against Pakistani tyrannical regime.
Our four national leaders were killed by some disgruntled army officers inside the Dhaka Central Jail on November 3, 1975.
On January 28, 2010, five killers of Bangabandhu were hanged in Dhaka Central Jail. They are former army officers Syed Farooq Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda, AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed and Mohiuddin Ahmed.
They along with some others killed the four national leaders in the same jail. So, the central jail on Nazimuddin Road also saw some poetic justice done there.
Besides, during the days of turmoil after the gruesome killing of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu in 1975, the then military ruler Ziaur Rahman hanged a large number of freedom fighters including Colonel Taher in a bid to crush uprising revolt against him.
Meanwhile, war criminals Jamaat leaders Abdul Quader Mollah, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed and Matiur Rahman Nizami as well as BNP stalwart Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury were hanged inside the Dhaka Central Jail at different times from 2013. The nation has been relieved of a stigma by the execution of these war
criminals.
