A couple in Chitalmari, Bagerhat, have given saplings of various fruit trees to households across their village to celebrate the birth of their child. Welcoming their baby, they gifted saplings of mango, jamun, jackfruit, litchi, guava, sapodilla and other species to more than 200 families in their village.

Madhab Chandra Brahma and his wife Sathi Rani Brahma of Kalshira village in Chitalmari upazila organised the unusual event on Friday and Saturday, 7 and 8 November.

The couple's daughter was born on 20 May this year and named Sampriti Brahma Mouli. Her parents said they took the initiative to share the joy of her birth with society and nature rather than keep it to themselves.

Madhab Chandra Brahma said that after Sampriti's birth they discussed it and made the decision. "We want the air and light of the village where our daughter will grow up to be pure, beautiful and gentle; that thought is behind this event. Just as the trees will grow up with our child, one day our village will be full of fruit."

Sampriti's mother, Sathi Rani Brahma, said they saved money bit by bit to carry out the plan, and added the gift money received from relatives after the birth to buy the saplings.

On 15 December 2013, in a family-arranged marriage, Madhab Chandra Brahman, son of freedom fighter Makhan Lal Brahman of Kalshira village in Chitalmari Sadar union, married Sathi Dhali, daughter of Amal Dhali of Rai village. After the wedding, the couple saved the cost of their bou-bhat reception and distributed more than a thousand books among local school and college students. Sampriti Brahma Mouli is their first child.

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