TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Stressed-out Dhaka to get 'Anger Management Park'

News Desk (Agence France-Presse)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Tue, January 30, 2018

Share This Article

Change Size

Stressed-out Dhaka to get 'Anger Management Park' Aerial view of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. (Shutterstock/File)

B

angladesh started work Sunday on an "anger management park" in the capital Dhaka which the mayor said would help the 15 million inhabitants cope with rising daily stress.

Traffic jams which keep commuters imprisoned in their cars for up to five hours a day, noise and dust pollution, rainy season chaos and petty crime are daily complaints.  

Sayeed Khokon, mayor of the southern half of the giant city, hopes the $7 million 38-acre (15 hectare) park near the main government offices will ease the stress.

The Goswa Nibaroni (anger management) Park is expected to take 12-14 months to complete and will feature a lake, snack corners, relaxing music and giant-screen televisions.

The concept comes from an ancient Bangladeshi tradition in which villages had an "anger hut" on the nearest riverbank for angry people to calm down, the mayor said.

"Such ideas have long gone. Urban life can be very stressful. City dwellers easily become victims of anxiety," Khokon told AFP.

Read also: Here’s why you should never go to bed angry

"If you quarrel with your wife, you can go this park and relax."

Dhaka, one of the world's fastest growing metropolises, has been losing green space to the mass construction of new residential districts.

Once a Mughal-era garrison town famed for its tree-lined roads, Dhaka has become one of the world's most polluted cities with levels inching closer to New Delhi.

The anger management park has divided social media opinion between supporters and those who believe it is a waste of money.

Critics say the new park could suffer the same fate as other green spaces in Dhaka which have become havens for petty criminals, sex workers and drug addicts.

"Good initiative until it becomes a paradise for drug peddling and prostitution," Iftekhar Alam wrote on Facebook.

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.