Bangladesh Gachh Raksha Andolon (Bangladesh Tree Protection Movement) has asked people to donate healthy saplings, six to eight weeks old, of native fruit, timber and medicinal trees for Panthakunja Park, which was damaged by the elevated expressway project. The appeal is part of a 10-day tree march and tree planting programme.

In a statement on Thursday, the movement said citizens have been asked to give saplings between 13 March and 23 March 2025. Saplings can be handed in at Panthakunja park in Karwan Bazar.

The saplings will be cared for and kept for planting in the monsoon. The list of trees is below.

• Fruit: jackfruit, mango, coconut, jujube (boroi), custard apple (ata), wood apple (kodbel), bael, bohera, amloki, haritaki, chapalish, fig (dumur), pomelo (jambura), carambola (kamranga), bilimbi and guava.
• Timber, medicinal and flowering: arjun, neem, orhor, krishnachura, kadam, jarul, palash/mandar, nageshwar, karabi, kurchi, radhachura, gandharaj, kathbeli, basak, gagan shirish and sonalu.
• Creepers, shrubs and grasses: madhabilata, kunjalata, bougainvillea, hasnahena, kochu, muli bamboo and Buddha bamboo.

Any other familiar native tree, or suggestions on planting methods, can be sent only by email to the movement. "On a special day in the monsoon we will all plant the trees together. Through all our efforts, for clean air and green living in Dhaka, we will make Panthakunja alive again with flowers, birds and plants," the statement said.

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