Public playgrounds and amusement parks in Dhaka are inadequate. Dhaka has never been planned with recreational facilities in mind.
According to a survey by Dhaka’s Capital Development Authority, Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha (RAJUK), among the total of 129 wards in Dhaka’s 2 city corporations, 37 wards have no playgrounds or parks. Whereas the city requires 1,876 acres of playgrounds and 1,137 acres of parks, at present, the city has only 294 acres of playgrounds and parks.
1876 Acres of Playground Required
610 Playgrounds
1137 Acres of Parks Required
In Dhaka city
No Playgrounds for Girls
In Dhaka city
In India’s capital, Delhi, there are 18,000 parks, including 500 parks for only children. As per urban planners, a modern city requires 1 playground in every half square kilometer. As the total area of the 2 city corporations of Dhaka is 305.47 sq km, the 2 corporations should at least have 610 playgrounds. More importantly, there are no playgrounds for girls. Whereas in 2000, there were 150 playgrounds in Dhaka, now it stands at only 24.
Unplanned Urbanization: Core Issue!
Historically Overlooked
From its onset, Dhaka has been a greatly unplanned city characterized by spasmodic development throughout its history. The fault of such disarray cannot be easily attributed to a single ruler or government in history. Throughout the city’s history, the rulers of this metropolis did not have any consistent urban development plan to design Dhaka.
The ‘Old Dhaka’, the southern part of the city, was developed because of its commercial significance during the Mughal and British periods whereas the Northern region did not see the light of any substantial progress. Despite some rebuilding efforts witnessed during the British period, a lack of a well-thought-out plan hindered the city’s overall urban emancipation.
The Northern part of the city, known as ‘New Dhaka’, was born when Dhaka became the capital of East Pakistan. However, the Pakistani rulers had interest only in plundering the resources of East Pakistan, instead of having any real interest or plan to develop the region.
Disproportionate Use of Land
As a consequence, the buildings, roads and other infrastructures in the city were and are still being placed without proper planning. Both residential and commercial buildings have taken up a disproportionate amount of space that could be used to build more recreational facilities, playgrounds and parks for the communities.
Mass Influx of New Residents
After the country’s independence, especially in recent decades, Dhaka has been perceived as a way of improving one’s life and a symbol of social and economic mobility. More than 2,000 people move to Dhaka every day from all across the country. People come to Dhaka in the hope of accessing better employment, education, medical treatment, business and other opportunities. Thus, from new buildings, residential areas, housing societies to new hospitals, markets and educational instituions are constantly being constructed in the vacant spaces to accommodate such a huge aggregate demand for housing and other needs. A report by REHAB reveals, in 2021 alone, realtors sold nearly 10,000 flats in Dhaka.
Encroachment of Public Property
Moreover, encroachment has become more prevalent when it comes to playgrounds. Establishments are being constructed illegally on public parks and playgrounds. In February 5, 2024, the High Court ordered a complete list of all parks and playgrounds in Dhaka city at present and to halt the construction of commercial establishments in these spaces. The HC has also directed to facilitate access to the present parks and playgrounds.
The city has reached a tipping point where it is virtually unfeasible to relocate the present establishments and free up space for playgrounds. So both the public and private sector have to find alternatives to navigate the land scarcity for the playgrounds or recreational facilities.
Overview of Turf Industry
$ 121.3 Billion Market by 2032
In Dhaka city
7.9% CAGR
Since 2022
The global market for commercial turf grounds or artificial/synthetic turf has witnessed substantial growth in the last couple of years. According to Marketsandmarkets, in 2022, the global artificial turf market has achieved a valuation of $77.5 billion. This market is poised to attain $121.3 billion by 2032, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.9% from 2022. As per market estimates, the Asia Pacific region is likely to experience massive growth.
Commercialized sports facilities are the solution to the country’s playground scarcity. Commercialized sports facilities such as indoor and outdoor sports facilities, turfs can tackle the unavailability of sports facilities. These modern facilities offer high-quality playing surfaces, modern amenities and services that are conducive to children’s physical and mental development while fulfilling the recreational pursuits.
The turf industry in Bangladesh started with JAFF at Bashundhara R/A in Dhaka. At present, there are more than 32 turfs all across Dhaka, and over 70 in Chattogram, with 10 more facilities under construction. The industry has been expanded even in villages of Chattogram such as Hathazari, Sitakunda, Patia, etc. The collective investment in these facilities is estimated at BDT 1 billion, contributing to a monthly market value of BDT 60 million across Bangladesh.
৳ 60 Million Monthly Turnover
Generated by turfs
৳ 2.5 to 50 Million Initial Investment
Required for a turf
৳ 8,000 to 35,000 Daily Income
Generated by turfs depending on their size
Establishing a turf requires investments ranging from BDT 2.5 million to 50 million, depending on the scale of operation. As a consequence, daily incomes of turfs vary as smaller turfs generate around BDT 8,000-12,000 and larger courts generate around BDT 30,000-35,000. On average, 12-14 people can play on turf for BDT 2,000 per hour, costing less than BDT 150 per person.
Peak booking times in these turfs are observed on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with additional evening to night bookings on other days. The aggregate demand for such facilities is surging from a diverse customer segment – from university students to professionals – as they serve as a viable alternative to public parks and playgrounds. As affordability is a crucial factor to access these turfs, socio-economic background is still a critical factor in this equation.
Below is a comprehensive list of these esteemed commercialized sports facilities:
- Rivershore Sports Arena
- Dribblers Club
- DSF (Dhaka Sports Foundation)
- ALPHA Sports- Mohammadpur
- North Arena
- Bashundhara Sports Complex
- Spark Sports
- Dhaka Arena
- Nahian’s Sportsplex
- DBox Sports Complex
- The Sports Arena
- Metroplex Sporting
- Kick off Football Ground
- A&A MS Ground
- Basabo Turfy Ground
- King’s Play Yard
- TSI (The Sports Institute)
- Player’s Arena
- Nutmeg Field
- Club Volta
- SDI (Sports Development Initiative)
- The Stadium
- False Nine
- Skyline Football Arena
- Aziz Manzil Sports Complex
- NDE Sports Facility
- Sports Grill
- Courtside
- Rockland Sports Limited
- OFFSIDE
- GreenVill Futsal
- Fortis Sports Ground
- JAFF
How to Solve the Playground Scarcity?
Recovering Encroached Playgrounds
The High Court directive has to be proactively implemented by the 2 city corporations. It is pivotal to take back the playgrounds from the unauthorized construction activities or establishments. After freeing these playgrounds and parks from illegeal settlers, these facilities have to be brought under rigorous monitoring of both the local commissioners and communities who will ensure that the recreational facility is not being encroached in future.
Separate Playground for Girls
The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) is building a separate playground and an academy only for children with disabilities beside the National Parliament. Likewise, separate playground, recreational or sports facilities should be made for girls.
Public-Private Partnership
Just the way GoB is aiming to establish day care centers, the same can be done for the playgrounds leveraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). PPPs are widespread in the United States for playground development. So, in abandoned spaces or the available spaces which are the property of the government, playgrounds can be built through PPP while ensuring local community engagement for ideas and feedback in order to design playgrounds according to their needs.
Navigating the land scarcity to build new playgrounds and parks is the major obstacle. So how can the government navigate through land scarcity? Leveraging the public-private partnerships, the government can utilize the emerging turf industry in the country. Several indoor and outdoor facilities, including turfs can be built through PPPs to offer an alternative for traditional playground setup. Some of these facilities and turfs can be a major revenue source for the government as the government can rent some of them at an affordable price to various customer segments. At the same time, a lot of these facilities have to be made publicly accessible without any charge under the supervision of GoB.
In New York City, public parks can have field rentals starting around $50/hour. Drawing inspiration from other nations, these public turfs of the government can be rented at some specific time of the day or week to manage both the costs and services. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Government of Hong Kong have various facilities: aquatic facilities: beaches and swimming pools, boating park, water sports centers, facilities for children: children’s play room, play equipment for all children, holiday camps, land sports facilities: archery ranges, bowling greens, cycling tracks and grounds, fitness rooms, free outdoor fitness equipment, free outdoor pitches and courts, golf facilities, grass pitches, etc.
National Turf Industry Guidelines
As the turf industry is emerging in Bangladesh, the Ministry of Youth and Sports should formulate a National Turf Industry Guidelines to address various challenges of these commercialized facilities, including health, safety, environmental concerns, renting, quality-maintenance issues, etc.
Cover Photo: Shatotto/Asif Salman/ Isabelle Antunes/City Syntax
About the Authors
Shah Adaan Uzzaman is the Blog Administrator at The Confluence. A former Bangladesh Television Debate Champion and winner of several policy & debate competitions, he is currently a student of IBA, University of Dhaka.
Mia Nazim Uddin Fahim, an upcoming marketing graduate from Bangladesh University of Professionals, boasts over three years of hands-on experience in Bangladesh’s marketing industry. With a fervent passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, marketing, and research, Fahim is committed to making a meaningful impact by tackling diverse challenges within Bangladesh’s business landscape.