The month-long National Tree Fair 2026 drew steady crowds in July 2026 on the grounds beside the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. According to the Forest Department, 8,12,802 saplings worth Tk 6,73,29,236 were sold between the opening day, 9 July, and 23 July. Jago News reported on 27 July that indoor plants for home decoration and trees for rooftop gardens were the best sellers.
Opened by the prime minister, held across the country
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman opened the Environment Fair 2026 and the National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre at around 11:30am on 9 July. The theme was "Let's beautify the country through tree plantation, Bangladesh first". Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo chaired the event. BSS reported that the prime minister handed out the National Environment Award 2025, the National Wildlife Conservation Award 2026 and the National Tree Plantation Award 2025, gave profit-share cheques to Social Forestry Programme beneficiaries, and planted olive, jarul and neem saplings at the venue.
The Dhaka fair had 120 stalls. Alongside it, 15-day fairs were held in seven divisional cities, seven-day fairs in 56 district headquarters and three-day fairs in 29 upazilas. BSS said the government planned to plant 25 crore saplings over five years, using GIS, remote sensing, drones and a National Tree Database. The Dhaka Tribune reported that by the opening day the Forest Department had planted 8.332 million saplings, about 17 percent of the year's target. Entry to the fair was free and no ticket was needed.
Indoor plants and rooftop fruit trees in demand
Jago News reported that orchid and cactus saplings were relatively expensive, while mango saplings were cheaper. Visitors were drawn to foreign varieties of rambutan, persimmon, Ajwa date, Pakistani pomegranate and popular mangoes; small saplings of these sold for Tk 500 to Tk 3,000.
The Dhaka Tribune reported on 18 July that city dwellers were mostly buying grafted fruit trees, indoor plants, bonsai, orchids and decorative foliage suited to small spaces. Abu Taher of Mahananda Nursery told the paper that grafted fruit trees accounted for the highest sales, led by mango saplings. On offer were mangoes such as Chiang Mai, Miyazaki, King of Chakapat and American Red Palmer, Vietnamese seedless jackfruit, avocado and dragon fruit, while Aglaonema, Monstera and Anthurium were popular with apartment dwellers. The fair was open from 9am to 8pm and offered free advice on plant care.
Visitor Mehedi Hasan, who said he comes every year but had missed the early days because of rain, told Jago News: "Here you find local and foreign species all in one place. I came mainly to see new fruit trees and buy some saplings for myself."
The Forest Department's sales figures
Forest Department sociologist Mohammad Aminul Islam told Jago News that forest, fruit, medicinal and ornamental saplings were all on sale, and that demand in Dhaka was highest for indoor plants and fruit trees for rooftop gardens. By his figures, the previous year's National Tree Fair sold 17,66,491 saplings worth Tk 15,59,42,274, and the year before that saplings worth about Tk 16.28 crore were sold.
"Even though space for planting trees in Dhaka is shrinking, people's interest has not declined," he said. "Many are buying plants for rooftop gardens, and many are taking them to their village homes to plant." He said police and the fair's own security staff were on duty, and that there were a mother and child corner, a breastfeeding corner, medical services, a media corner and a separate rest room for senior citizens. Jago News reported that the fair was scheduled to run until 7 August.
Photo: Ranadipam Basu / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Sources: Jagonews24, BSS, Dhaka Tribune
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