Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party has begun a tree-planting campaign across the country marking World Environment Day and Environment Fair 2023 and the National Tree Planting Campaign and Tree Fair 2023.

Ansar-VDP director general Major General AKM Aminul Haque inaugurated the "Tree Planting Programme 2023" by planting a sapling at the force's headquarters in Khilgaon, Dhaka, at 10am on 5 June.

Additional director general Brigadier General Khondkar Farid Hasan, the deputy director general (administration), directors, other officers and staff, and battalion Ansar members were present. Nine range offices, 42 battalions, 64 districts and other field units joined by video teleconference.

World Environment Day 2023 was observed with the slogan "Let us all pledge together to end plastic pollution". Marking the day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the "Tree Planting Programme 2023" at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.

Following on from this, Bangladesh Ansar and VDP took up its own programme. At the inauguration the director general gave instructions to encourage all members of the force to plant trees.

He said that in response to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's call, saplings must be planted at the force's headquarters, academy, ranges, battalions, VTCs, districts, upazilas, thanas and unions, on each unit's own land, club and association premises, and along both sides of roads.

Bangladesh Ansar and VDP has about 61 lakh members. He urged every member, spread across every village in the country, to plant fruit, timber and herbal saplings and to encourage others to do the same.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.