Tree fair, plantation drive begin in Rajbari, Rangamati

Week-long tree plantation drive and tree fair organised by the authorities concerned have been inaugurated in Rajbari and Rangamati districts on Thursday.

RAJBARI: On this occasion, a discussion meeting was held in the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner (DC)’s office on Thursday morning where DC Afroza Parveen spoke as the chief guest and Additional DC (General) Tarif ul Hasan was in the chair. Later, a colourful rally started from Amro Kanan and ended on the tree fair premises at Azadi Maidan after parading through the main roads.

The chief guest said that there is no alternative to large-scale tree planting to combat the adverse effects of climate change, protect the environmental balance and build a green Bangladesh. He urged the general public to come forward to plant trees from their respective positions in addition to government initiatives.

Rajbari DC Afroza Parveen formally inaugurated the week-long tree plantation drive as the chief guest. Senior officials of the district administration, representatives of various government departments, leaders of political, social and cultural organisations, students and representatives of civil society were present at the event.

A tree fair, sapling distribution and various public awareness activities were held as part of this week-long programme jointly organised by the district administration and the Department of Forest.

RANGAMATI: The fair has been inaugurated here by former minister of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs and MP for Rangamati-299 Constituency Dipen Dewan on the Kumar Samit Roy Gymnasium ground in the district town.

Chakma Circle Chief Barrister Raja Debashish Roy, former deputy minister of the Ministry of CHT Affairs Moni Swapon Dewan, Rangamati Sadar Zone Commander Lieutenant Colonel Md Ekramul Rahat (PSC), District Conservator of Forests Abdur Awal Sarkar, Additional Superintendent of Police Md Iqbal Hossain, District BNP General Secretary Advocate Mamunur Rashid Mamun and Divisional Forest Officer of CHT South Forest Division and Member Secretary of the Tree Planting Celebration Committee SM Sajjad Hossain spoke at the inaugural ceremony chaired by Rangamati DC Najma Ashrafi.

In his speech as the chief guest, MP Dipen Dewan said that everyone will have to work together to implement the programme of planting 25 crore trees in five years under the direction of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. “It is not enough to just plant trees, but to ensure their proper care and conservation.” 

At the beginning of the programme, a documentary on forest and nature conservation was shown. Later, saplings of different species of trees were distributed among the students of various educational institutions and the guests planted symbolic trees. They also visited various stalls of the fair.

Earlier, a rally was taken out from the premises of the DC office that paraded through the main road and ended on the Kumar Samit Roy Gymnasium ground.