Background Before the early 20th century, the present-day site of Ramna Park comprised a vast empty expanse known as Ramna Plains. Situated in its midst was a sizable lake, while nearby stood a racecourse in Suhrawardy Udyan, both built by Dhaka's
magistrate Charles Dawes. Ramna Park was formally inaugurated in 1949, covering an area of . The expansive open spaces served as venues for fairs and exhibitions. Notably, in 1960,
Queen Elizabeth II received a warm civic reception at Ramna Park during her visit to Dhaka.
Developments The current layout of Ramna Park was conceptualised in 1952 by the
Public Works Department of Bangladesh (formerly known as the C&B Department). Enhancements to the park included deepening and extending the lake, constructing walkways and garden paths in stages, regrading and replanting sections, and implementing irrigation systems for the diverse range of tree saplings. To facilitate deep root growth, tree wells with deep vertical tubes or watering pipes were installed. Additionally, a bud-shaped
water tower was erected on the park's northern side to supply water to these facilities. In 2020, Ramna Park was closed to the public as a precautionary measure to mitigate the spread of the
Coronavirus pandemic. During this period of closure, a beautification drive were undertaken by the Public Works Department at a cost of , which involved the construction of a new wooden
deck around the re-excavated lake, new lighting systems, and rebuilding of paths covered with red ceramic bricks and
bituminous carpet. Additionally, a new cafe has been built and a corner of the park has been dedicated to children's play area, while new flowers have been planted as part of the renovation work. The park was reopened towards the end of 2022.
Incidents On 14 April 2001, during the
Pohela Boishakh celebrations of the Bangla New Year,
two bombs exploded at Ramna Park, resulting in the deaths of 10 individuals and injuries to several others. Subsequently, members of the
Islamist group
Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami were convicted in connection with the incident. ==Geography==