The Forest Department will plant one crore trees across the country in Mujib Year and has already instructed its officials nationwide to raise saplings. If it is not possible from 17 March, the saplings will be distributed during the tree-planting campaign in the first week of June. Officials said the programme was taken up to protect the environment. Because some of the one crore saplings may be lost, an extra 20 lakh saplings will be raised.

According to the relevant wing of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, fruit, timber and medicinal saplings will be distributed, with priority given to native fruit trees. A preliminary decision to raise 1.2 crore saplings was taken last August, and the matter is now at the final stage. Forest offices across the country have begun raising saplings.

In coordination with the national programme, the ministry has made other plans for Mujib Year. The Department of Environment, the Forest Department and all divisional and district offices, the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust and the Forest Research Institute will hold rallies. The ministry will also organise discussions, prayers and milad mahfils, and banners and festoons will be made in line with the national programme.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin has instructed the ministry's secretary and other officials to take proper steps to observe Mujib Year. Officials said he also instructed them to raise awareness to protect and expand the country's forests, including the Sundarbans, and to take effective action through strict enforcement of the law.

Ajit Kumar Rudra, assistant chief conservator of forests in the Forest Department's finance, budget and general instructions unit, said effective steps to observe Mujib Year have already been taken as the minister instructed. Work on raising 1.2 crore saplings is under way, and the Forest Department is implementing the production and distribution of the saplings.

Source: Dhaka Tribune. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.