Dhaka, July 4 -- Setting a remarkable example of environmental transformation, a group of dedicated volunteers from home and beyond have turned a neglected and polluted lakeside area in the capital's upscale Banani-Gulshan locality into a green, vibrant public park, offering a refreshing model of community-led urban renewal.

Despite being perceived as a posh and relatively pollution-free part of Dhaka, the lakes and its adjacent areas in Gulshan and Banani were long plagued by waste, abandonment, and criminal activity. That changed when a visionary community initiative titled '55Kodomtola: Greening Gulshan and Banani Lakeside' began to reclaim and beautify the space.

On Friday morning, the recently inaugurated 'Banani Society 55k Adda P...