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Chattogram City Corporation has launched an ambitious greening campaign to transform the city’s roads, parks and open spaces by planting one million trees, with the median strips from Mohra to Shah Amanat International Airport set to be decorated with a variety of flowering and ornamental plants.
Chattogram City Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain announced the initiative while inspecting tree plantation work along the Agrabad-Lalkhan Bazar road on Wednesday. During the visit, Forest and Slum Development Officer Moinul Hossain Ali Joy briefed the mayor on the progress of the city’s greening programme.
The mayor said the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s nationwide plan to plant 250 million trees over the next five years, describing it as a timely and far-sighted effort to address environmental challenges.
“If every citizen participates in planting and caring for trees, we can build a greener, cleaner and more environmentally friendly Bangladesh,” he said.
As part of the city corporation’s programme, undertaken with support from various social organisations, flowering plants and greenery will be introduced along road medians stretching from Mohra to the airport.
Officials said the plantation campaign will also cover vacant lands, parks and other public spaces across the city to improve the urban environment.
The Airport Road has already been beautified with colourful flowering plants. Meanwhile, around 6,500 saplings representing 26 species are being planted along the road median between Dewanhat and Barik Building. The plantation includes flowering trees such as Jarul, Sonalu, Radhachura, Kamini, Kanchan, Hasnahena, Gandharaj and Shiuli, as well as several endangered native species. Decorative foliage plants are also being planted along the Tigerpass-Lalkhan Bazar corridor.
Authorities said regular maintenance, including daily watering and weed removal, has been arranged to ensure the healthy growth of the newly planted trees.
Calling for tree planting to become a social movement, the mayor said the COVID-19 pandemic had reminded people of the vital importance of oxygen.
“Trees provide the oxygen that sustains life while absorbing carbon dioxide, making them indispensable for maintaining a healthy environment. Protecting nature requires active public participation in tree planting and care,” he said.
He stressed that planting trees alone is not enough and urged citizens to ensure their long-term maintenance.
Describing trees as humanity’s “closest friends,” Dr. Shahadat said they provide oxygen, fruits, timber and medicinal resources while playing a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance.
The mayor also highlighted Chattogram’s unique natural beauty, noting that the city is blessed with the sea, hills, rivers, canals, valleys and wetlands. He warned that failure to preserve these natural resources would jeopardize the interests of future generations.
He further called for greater public awareness to protect the Karnaphuli and Halda rivers, as well as the city’s canals and water bodies. Indiscriminate dumping of plastic, polythene and other waste, he said, is polluting the environment, worsening waterlogging and eventually contaminating rivers and canals, posing a serious threat to the ecosystem.
