Bangladesh Army chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed has opened the "Tree Plantation Drive-2023" by planting a bakul sapling.

The army chief inaugurated the programme on Thursday (8 June) in the Shaheed Moinul Road area of Dhaka Cantonment. At the same time, through video and teleconference, he opened the programme simultaneously at every cantonment in the country, including Dhaka Cantonment, and at the DOHS areas and the Jolshiri housing project.

Senior army officers from Army Headquarters and the Dhaka area, JCOs and members of other ranks were present. The information was given in a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR).

ISPR said this year's theme is "Plant trees and care for them, build a country of healthy generations". With this theme in mind, the prime minister has stressed tree planting for meeting people's basic needs, the role of trees in keeping nature and the environment in balance, conserving a sustainable environment and ecology rich in biodiversity, coping with natural disasters caused by climate change, creating jobs and socio-economic development.

Under the drive, saplings of fruit, timber and medicinal species will be planted along with various ornamental trees. The programme will be carried out at all cantonments, all training areas including Swarnadwip, firing ranges, DOHS areas and the Jolshiri housing project, and will continue until 5 September.

This year the army will plant about 192,173 saplings. The aim of the programme is to encourage everyone to plant trees of their own accord, to increase the country's forest resources and protect its environmental balance.

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