Dispute Over Trade Fair Grounds

Breathing freely in the brick-and-concrete landscape of the capital has become increasingly difficult. Open spaces are even harder to find. In such a setting, a vast field is almost a rare treasure. Yet in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, there lies not just an ordinary field but a sprawling 29.79-acre expanse. It is the site of the former Dhaka International Trade Fair grounds.

For years, the month-long trade fair occupied the area every January, while the land remained open for the rest of the year. Since the fair moved to its permanent venue in Purbachal, the grounds have remained vacant throughout the year. Now two sides have set their sights on the land, triggering a dispute over its ownership.

The government had long maintained control of the grounds and organized the trade fair there, while the Ministry of Housing and Public Works oversaw the site. But after the fair relocated, the area was left largely without a caretaker. Children and teenagers now use the open space for sports and recreation. Driving instructors also bring learners there for training, while a number of small businesses operate on parts of the grounds.

Following the July mass uprising, authorities at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University claimed the land as their own and erected signboards asserting ownership.

The move prompted a response from the government. The Ministry of Housing and Public Works soon installed its own signboards and warned that any attempt to construct structures on the site would be punishable. However, university authorities remain determined to establish research facilities there. Alumni of the university have also put up a third banner in support of the institution’s claim.

Professor Dr. Rafiqul Islam of the university claimed ownership of the entire field. He told Agamir Somoy that the land belongs to the university. According to him, the university had not actively pursued the issue while the trade fair occupied the site. Now that the land is vacant, the institution needs the space to accommodate a growing student population. He noted that the university initially had one faculty but now has four, while enrollment has risen to between 6,000 and 7,000 students.

University Registrar Nazrul Islam echoed the same position.

“At one time, the university’s land extended as far as Khamarbari. The Bengal Agricultural Department operated a cattle farm there, which is why the area became known as Khamarbari. The entire Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area once covered 500 acres under the university, but that has gradually shrunk to 87 acres. The land should be returned to help accommodate the increasing number of students. However, the government’s decision will be final,” he said.

University officials further argued that when land was originally acquired for the institution, the area included what are now the Planning Commission, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center, and the trade fair grounds. They said the university did not object when the government later decided to build those facilities. Now that the field remains unused, they believe the time has come to reclaim it.

The university has already taken several steps to gain control of the site. Officials said they submitted an application to the Dhaka Deputy Commissioner’s Office earlier this year and recently inspected the grounds. They also argued that while the Public Works Department has managed the land for years, it is not the owner.

Although the Ministry of Housing and Public Works has installed signboards claiming ownership, Secretary Nazrul Islam declined to comment. Housing and Public Works Adviser Zakaria Taher, however, said, “This is our land. Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University cannot claim it simply because it wants to. The government owns this property. We are reviewing the matter.”

Meanwhile, Planning Adviser Md. Junaid Abdur Rahim Saki said the government has already made a decision regarding the site.

“This is government land. A few days ago, Chief Adviser Tarique Rahman directed the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) to conduct a feasibility study for constructing the Secretariat on this site. If that project proceeds, there will be no further debate,” he told Agamir Somoy.

A visit to the grounds showed preparations underway for a tree fair on one section of the land, while most of the area remained open. Children and teenagers were playing there throughout the day, and many people were learning to drive.

Several students, including Rubel Hossain, Kalam, and Rahmat, said the land should not be handed over to any party. They also opposed the construction of any permanent structures on the site.

“Finding an open field like this in Dhaka is a blessing,” they said. “There are very few places left for sports and recreation. The government should develop this land as an open public field for the healthy mental development of children and young people.”

Sources said that during the early years of the Awami League government, authorities planned to relocate the Secretariat in line with the original vision of Louis I. Kahn and even prepared a project for that purpose. However, the government later abandoned the plan due to the enormous cost and other considerations.

Toward the end of that administration, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works proposed developing a park on the site. The design, however, failed to gain approval. Authorities instead directed planners to create an open public park modeled on Hyde Park in London.