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A tree-planting and “Telling Tree Stories” campaign has been launched in Paikgachha upazila of Khulna, with speakers calling for greater tree-planting efforts in coastal areas to address the adverse impacts of climate change and protect the environmental balance.
The campaign is being held under the slogan, “Plant trees, save the environment, build a green planet, build a healthy life.”
The programme was launched on Wednesday at the Anirban Library premises in Mahmudkati, Paikgachha, jointly organised by Anirban Library, Dream Research and Development Foundation, and Sundarban and Coastal Protection Movement.
Anirban Library Vice-President Basudev Roy chaired the event, moderated by Nikhil Chandra Bhadra, coordinator of the Sundarban and Coastal Protection Movement.
Writer and Associate Professor Safiar Rahman, a tree enthusiast, inaugurated the programme. He said trees absorb harmful carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen, while their roots help hold soil together and reduce the risks of landslides and flooding.
He urged people to plant more fruit-bearing trees, saying this would not only help protect the environment but also contribute to meeting families’ nutritional needs.
Speaking as the chief guest, Mir Mohammad Ali, assistant professor at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, said tree planting meant more than simply planting a sapling. It also meant taking responsibility for the tree and ensuring its survival.
“Children should develop a love for trees and nature from an early age,” he said, suggesting that school and college students could each be given responsibility for caring for a tree.
Former Dhaka Reporters Unity president Rafiqul Islam Azad said trees were vital to the environment, providing oxygen, purifying the air and helping make the planet habitable.
River Bangla editor Faisal Ahmed stressed the importance of involving children in tree-planting activities. He called for nearby schools and students to be linked with Anirban Library to promote books, nature and humanitarian education.
Among others, Jugbarta editor Md Rafiqul Islam Sujon, Sachetan Sangstha General Secretary Sakila Parveen, Anirban Library General Secretary Prabhat Debnath, environmental activist Dulal Debnath, journalist Md Hasib Sardar and student Riyad Hossain spoke at the event.
The programme concluded with the planting of various fruit-bearing and forest tree saplings on the Anirban Library premises.