His love of trees goes back to his student days. For 40 years a teacher named SM Zulfikar Ali has been planting forest, fruit, medicinal and other trees along roads, at educational institutions, in markets and elsewhere, taking nothing in return. Neither storm nor rain holds him back.

SM Zulfikar Ali is head teacher of KGS Mohor Sobhan Mofiz Uddin High School in Melandah upazila, Jamalpur, and is known to everyone as Lebu Master. He is the son of Md Alauddin Sarkar of Chhabilapur village in Ghosherpara union. On-the-ground reporting found that the tree lover has planted about 40,000 trees of various species, including 3,000 banyan trees, in different parts of the district. Many are now grown and giving fruit and shade. He has also built concrete platforms at the foot of trees for passers-by to rest, and has filled his own home with trees of many species.

Local people say he gives saplings as gifts at social events and at any student function, and regularly talks to his students about the benefits of planting trees to encourage them.

Lebu Master told Jagonews24 that his passion for planting began when he was in class eight. Since then he has planted trees on playing fields, school grounds, Eidgah grounds and at various government institutions. Besides keeping the environment in balance, he said, his planting drive is meant to give relief to tired travellers and people from all walks of life.

He said that in his 32 years as a teacher he has planted at least one environment-friendly tree at the home of every student. As a future plan, he wants to plant trees in every upazila of the country.

Former students of the school, including Hossain Ali, Kofil Sarkar, Hridoy Ahmed and Imran Mahmud, told Jagonews24: "Since childhood we have seen Lebu Sir planting trees all over the village. There is no road in the village where he has not planted trees. He has built concrete seats at the foot of trees for passers-by, and has even installed tube wells in several places to quench travellers' thirst. He gives trees as gifts at any social occasion, and at school events such as sports, farewells and debate competitions he gives students trees."

Jahangir Selim, president of the Jamalpur branch of Poribesh Andolon, told Jagonews24 that at a time when trees are being felled freely for industrialisation, urbanisation and other reasons, Zulfikar Ali's planting drive is undoubtedly praiseworthy and worth following. He welcomed his contribution to protecting the environment and called for government support for his work.

Melandah Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Abdullah Al Faisal told Jagonews24 that the individual initiative certainly deserves praise. "If he contacts the agriculture department, we will try to give him every possible support from the upazila agriculture office," he said.

Jamalpur Deputy Commissioner Murshida Zaman told Jagonews24 that the noble initiative deserves praise. "The Prime Minister has declared that not an inch of land should be left empty. Zulfikar Ali's initiative will stand as a shining example of putting those words into practice. We applaud his work," she said.

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