Rakibul’s garden-to-glory

Stepping onto soft grass, visitors are greeted by a tranquil landscape of shimmering ponds, bamboo leaves swaying in the breeze, wooden swings, and lush greenery. From a distance, it resembles the courtyard of a rural village rather than a corner of the country’s bustling capital.

This unique green oasis created at the National Tree Fair at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital offers city dwellers a brief escape from traffic, concrete, and pollution.

The visionary behind the project is Md. Rakibul Amin, founder of ‘Gardening Bangladesh,’ a company dedicated to bringing nature into urban spaces. Whether it is a rooftop, balcony, office, wall, or a small indoor corner, his mission is to reconnect people with greenery in their everyday lives.

Rakibul’s passion for nursery gardening began during his childhood in Kushtia, where he grew up surrounded by gardens. While still in class five, he started a flower garden at his family home that attracted visitors from nearby communities. However, it was after moving to Dhaka in 2001 to study Botany at Dhaka College that his vision took shape. Witnessing the rapid disappearance of green spaces in the growing city inspired him to make nature more accessible to urban dwellers.

His entrepreneurial journey was far from easy. As a student, he invested Tk 14,000 in roses for Valentine’s Day sales, only to lose everything when sudden rain destroyed the flowers. Determined to succeed, he later launched a small flower shop named ‘Acacia’ at Bashundhara City in 2008. Although business struggled initially, a single day of indoor plant sales worth nearly Tk 75,000 convinced him that urban gardening had immense potential. When the shopping mall later discontinued flower shops, he was forced to close the business.

Gardening Bangladesh became a full-fledged enterprise in 2019. Since then, the company has completed more than a hundred landscaping projects, transforming roadsides, resorts, corporate offices, garment factories, educational institutions, religious sites, eco-parks, lakes, and private homes across the country.

Rakibul is also promoting a “Zero Soil” concept, encouraging the coverage of all exposed ground with grass, vines, or other vegetation to reduce urban heat, conserve biodiversity, and strengthen climate resilience. His long-term vision, called the Garden Mission, aims to turn urban greening into a nationwide social movement while promoting environmentally friendly lifestyles.