A family lives in Shewrapara in the capital. The family has two children—one aged 4 and the other 9. The 9-year-old was asked why so much time is spent on a mobile phone throughout the day. In reply, the child said there was a wish to play. But where is the playground?

The child’s father works at a private organisation. Speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, he said there is no open field within several kilometres of where they live. One or two educational institutions have fields, but those remain locked in the afternoons. As a result, even if his child wants to play, there is no opportunity.

Many parents in Dhaka are now suffering from the problem of not having playgrounds. As children do not have opportunities to play, they spend the whole day with mobile phones or tablets.

The issue has recently come into discussion following the findings of a study by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b).

The study found that a large portion of school-going children in Dhaka spend nearly five hours a day on average staring at screens of electronic devices such as mobile phones, televisions, tablets, or computers. As a result, they are sleeping less, gaining weight, and suffering from headaches and eye problems. Their mental health is also being negatively affected.