United News of Bangladesh

The Environment Fair and the National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair will be inaugurated on Thursday, with a five-year plan to plant 250 million trees across the country, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has agreed to inaugurate the programmes as the chief guest at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center, said the minister at a press briefing at the Secretariat. The theme of this year's National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair is "Let's decorate the country through tree plantation, Bangladesh first.” Alongside the month-long National Tree Fair and Environment Fair in Dhaka, tree fairs will be arranged for 15 days in all seven divisional headquarters, seven days in 56 district headquarters and three days in 29 upazilas. The national tree fair in Dhaka will feature 120 stalls. The minister said the government has adopted a five-year master plan to plant 250 million trees nationwide and ensure their proper maintenance as part of implementing its election manifesto. A special cell has been formed under the Prime Minister’s Office to oversee the programme, he said. Under the initiative, planted saplings will be monitored digitally through satellite-based Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing technologies, he said. A central National Tree Database and Tree Monitoring System, supported by a dedicated mobile application, will also be introduced to track the location, survival and growth of planted trees, said the minister. Besides, the drone technology will be used to monitor afforestation activities in remote char areas, coastal regions and forest zones, he added. The programme is expected to create around 3,50,000 green jobs over the next five years while helping establish 10,000 new nursery entrepreneurs by engaging rural women and youth in nursery businesses and post-plantation maintenance, said Mintoo. Regarding this year's plantation programme, he said the Forest Department is planting 1.50 crore native saplings in treeless areas, along roads, canals, embankments and coastal regions, while new afforestation is being carried out on 4,800 hectares of recovered forest land. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has already inaugurated the nationwide five-year tree plantation programme at Dulahazara in Cox's Bazar. So far, the Forest Department has planted 83.32 lakh  saplings, achieving nearly 17 percent of this year's target. Highlighting the government's environmental protection efforts, the minister said enforcement drives were conducted against 1,525 establishments between January and June this year, resulting in fines totaling Tk 23.34 crore. Utility connections of 112 illegal factories were also disconnected during the period. He said the government has prepared a National Air Quality Management Plan to tackle air pollution and is implementing an integrated stakeholder-based project to reduce noise pollution. On climate action, the minister said the government has adopted a "whole-of-government" approach involving ministries, local government institutions, the private sector, academia, research organisations, civil society and development partners to implement adaptation, mitigation, disaster risk reduction, climate financing, technology transfer and capacity-building programmes. He also said a draft guideline titled "Extended Producer Responsibility Guidelines for Plastic Waste Management-2026" has been prepared to strengthen plastic waste management and has been sent to the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division for issuing the necessary statutory regulatory order after legal vetting. An inter-ministerial meeting has finalised the master plan for conserving the biodiversity of St Martin's Island, and opinions from relevant ministries and agencies are now being incorporated before seeking final government approval.    

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday urged every citizen of the country to plant at least one tree to help ensure that future generations can breathe clean air and live in a healthier environment. “I would like to request everyone in the country, keeping in mind the future of your children so that they can breathe in a clean and healthy environment, please plant a sapling wherever it is possible for you,” he said. The Prime Minister made the remarks while formally inaugurating a nationwide programme in Cox’s Bazar to plant 25 crore trees over the next five years, aiming to strengthen environmental protection and address the impacts of climate change. “I am formally announcing the launch of this tree plantation campaign. We are inaugurating it. We hope that, Insha’Allah, we will be able to create an environment where our future generations can breathe freely and live in a clean environment,” he said. Tarique Rahman said if the tree plantation campaign could be made successful, it could be assumed that future generations would be able to breathe clean, pollution-free air in the days ahead. “Let us ensure a guarantee for our future generations that they will be able to live in a clean and pollution-free environment,” Tarique said. The Prime Minister also recalled the BNP’s election pledge to launch a nationwide afforestation programme. “Before the election, we had promised the people that if we were able to form the government with the mercy of Almighty Allah, we would launch a tree plantation programme in the country. Our target is to plant at least five crore saplings every year and 25 crore saplings over the next five years,” he said. “Let us all work together so that we can transform Bangladesh’s air into a much cleaner and purer one in the coming days,” he added. Calling upon district administrations, the Prime Minister said, “Today, particularly Deputy Commissioners from various parts of the country are connected here. I would like to instruct you all to take initiatives to turn your respective districts into green sanctuaries.” The Prime Minister inaugurated the programme by planting a sapling of Garjan tree at Malumghat Reserved Forest in Dulahazara under Pmkhali Union of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila at around 2:55pm. Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and other ministers and lawmakers also planted saplings of 11 different species during the event. PM inaugurates nationwide programme to plant 25 crore saplings Upon reaching the tree plantation venue, the Prime Minister greeted hundreds of people assembled there by waving at them. Officials said a total of 1,180 saplings of indigenous tree species will be planted in the forest in the first phase of the programme. The ruling BNP had pledged in its election manifesto to plant 25 crore trees across the country within five years after coming to power. Saturday’s inauguration marked the formal start of implementing that commitment. Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo presided over the event. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad, State Minister for Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs and Land Mir Md Helal Uddin, State Minister for Jute and Textiles Shariful Alam, and Environment Secretary Raihan Kawser, among others, were present.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday chaired a meeting on the launch of a nationwide programme to plant 25 crore trees and activities marking World Environment Day. The meeting on climate messages for different implementation stages of the tree plantation campaign and World Environment Day programmes was held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon in the morning, said a release issued by the PM’s press wing. Officials concerned attended the meeting and discussed preparations for the campaign and related environmental awareness activities.  

To mark the 31st anniversary of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), a tree plantation campaign with the slogan ‘Go Green, Protect the Planet’ was held on Thursday at Bangladesh Korea Technical Training Centre (BKTTC), Mirpur. Young-Ah Doh, Country Director, KOICA Bangladesh Office, Md. Mahbubur Rashid Talukder, Director, Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, Md. Lutfar Rahman, Principal, BKTTC and Executive Committee of KOICA Bangladesh Alumni Association (KBAA) joined the programme. As a part of the voluntary programme for social responsibility, to increase mass awareness about tree plantation, more than 100 teachers and students of BKTTC enthusiastically joined the plantation programme. The objective was to engage the youth who will play a leading role in conserving the environment and raise awareness of an environment- friendly surrounding necessary for a better world.

Illegal occupants will be evicted from the forest lands and the forests will be brought back. The country will be turned into green Bengal by planting more and more trees.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged the people to plant trees in the 'Mujib Borsho' for protecting the environment of the country.