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Gambling rampant in guise of folk programme in Teknaf


Published : 03 Mar 2023 08:20 PM

Naf Marine Children's Park is located next to the Marine Drive at Maheshkhaliapara Ghat of Teknaf beach in Cox's Bazar. The company was launched privately in January 2021 with the assurance of good entertainment of children. Religious people, including the general guardian, have become angry at the recently arranged explicit song-dance event in the park till midnight.

It has been alleged that such an event has been going on for more than 3 days. Every day from morning to night, the village of Teknaf has been promoting selling lottery. And the lottery draw was held at the end of the ceremony at midnight. In addition, many accused the park publicly conduct gambling rooms, selling beer and drinking in Myanmar.

Video footage of the program on the park, the complainants also sent the photo reporter.

Abdul Karim, of the Khonkarpara area of Teknaf Sadar Union, said the children's park was very close to his house. The park is currently taking offensive songs, dance shows from dusk till dawn. Where young people, including children are entering tickets. The program is full of obscene songs with dance which are far from children-friendly. Such an event organised in Children's Park is really sad.

Teacher of an educational institution in Teknaf said on condition of an influential cycle that the event surrounded the children's park is not good. Youths are selling lottery in the alley-street of Teknaf upazila every morning from 8am to 5pm. Each ticket is being sold at the temptation of delivering interesting prizes at Tk 20. The ticket is going to the park at night to buy the award. And what is being heard in the park at night cannot be a child park. The medium of weed entertainment.

One of the youths, Abdus Salam, Gafur Mia, said that the park is associated with various regional songs, and what is happening, including the joy of the young men, and the pursuit of pornography cannot be called a child-friendly envronment. 

The children do not have to go there that night. And the event is being conducted publicly throughout the park. They also complained that the park's scheduled staff had also seen selling beer-liquor imported from Myanmar and drinking it.

Maulvi Mahbubur Rahman Mujahheri, president of the Teknaf Upazila Olama Parishad, said that songs, dances, gambling, alcohol consumption- all are going on in the park. They also told the Upazila Executive Officer in writing on Wednesday. However, he did not take any effective initiative.

Referring to the video footage of the program at the Children's Park, the general secretary of the National Children's Kishore Organization Khelghar Asr, M Jasim Uddin, said that which has been seen that it is not part of the good entertainment. This is madness in the name of Children's Park. It is condemnable. Children's Park must make children's proper entertainment materials. It is important to take immediate action in the administration.

The park manager Fazlul Kabir, general secretary of the Teknaf Upazila Jubo League, said the event that is being organized in the park is being operated with the permission of the administration. 

There is nothing being offered or vulgar. If anyone can give evidence, it will be closed immediately. 

He claimed that the management of the gambling or alcohol was not true, even though the lottery sale is going on, he stated.

He said, "What is happening in the park is a traditional ceremony of good entertainment and Bengali culture. There is no chance of confusion about it. '

Cox's Bazar Superintendent of Police Mahfuzul Islam said the administration has given permission to organize the event at Teknaf Park. If any conditions are violated there, the administration will cancel it. However, the gambling or liquor is being said there will be investigated. If then legal action will be taken.

The Superintendent of Police said there was no opportunity to organize the event till midnight. It has been stated that the ceremony can be held till the condition. And the event must be part of Bengali culture and local folk culture. It cannot be offensive. It will not be accepted if any such event in combination with the Bengali culture is tried be mixed with propaganda.

Teknaf Upazila Executive Officer Kamruzzaman acknowledged the permission of the ceremony and said that he did not know the information about the lottery sale, gambling or alcohol.He, too, said that if any extremists tried to chaos by commenting that the event must be part of Bengali culture and local folk culture, it will not be accepted.