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The banks of the Bishkhali River in Bagerhat are taking on a new green look as 50,000 saplings planted by the Forest Department begin to transform stretches of once-bare river char land.
The plantation covers about 50 kilometres along both banks of the river in Morelganj and Kachua upazilas. The rows of young trees are already creating a striking landscape during the monsoon season.
Neem, sissoo, mahogany, babla, jam, wood apple, amla, haritaki, wax apple, tamarind, guava, olive, arjun, casuarina and acacia are among the species planted on the river chars.
The saplings have been planted in rows roughly two feet apart and supported with stakes. Regular monsoon rain has helped many of them produce fresh leaves and grow rapidly.
The project is part of the government’s social forestry programme and is not limited to environmental restoration. Under the Social Forestry Rules 2026, the trees are scheduled to be harvested and sold after 10 years, with the proceeds shared among local beneficiaries and other stakeholders.
Local beneficiaries will receive 55% of the sale proceeds, while landowners will get 20%, union parishads 5%, the Tree Farming Fund 10% and the Forest Department 10%.
For residents whose land borders the river chars, the plantation therefore offers the prospect of a future source of income.
Nirmal Chandra Das, a retired schoolteacher from Kathipara village in Morelganj, owns two plots adjoining the Bishkhali riverbed. He said Forest Department officials planted saplings on the char and collected copies of landowners’ national identity cards, informing them that they would receive a share of the proceeds when the trees are sold.
However, Das said he remains uncertain about when the trees will be harvested and how much he will eventually receive.
The project has also disrupted some traditional uses of the river chars.
Parimal Pal, another resident of Kathipara, said his family had long used a nearby char to make and dry earthen pots and carry out other household activities. The plantation has made that more difficult.
Still, he hopes the future proceeds from the trees will compensate for the loss.
Other residents said they had previously grown seasonal vegetables on newly emerged chars or used vacant roadside land for various purposes. Those activities have largely stopped after the Forest Department planted trees in the areas.
Their main concern is whether the promised benefits will reach them and when the trees will ultimately be sold.
The Bishkhali plantation is part of a larger social forestry initiative across Bagerhat.
According to the Social Forestry Division, the Forest Department planted around 326,000 saplings along 326 kilometres across the district between fiscal 2021-22 and 2025-26.
The department has also established mangrove forests on 60 hectares—30 hectares in Rampal, 20 hectares in Morelganj and 10 hectares in Sharankhola. Golpata, or nipa palm, has been planted along a five-kilometre stretch in Rampal.
Over the past 12 years, trees worth nearly Tk 5 crore have been sold under the programme in Bagerhat, with around 2,000 beneficiaries receiving their shares.
Bagerhat Divisional Forest Officer Md Shaheen Kabir said the Forest Department plants trees every year on river and canal chars, roadsides and other suitable public spaces.
He described the initiative as a long-term investment for both the environment and communities living around the plantation areas.
Of the 50,000 saplings planted this year, 30,000 are in the Morelganj section of the Bishkhali River and 20,000 in Kachua.
If properly maintained, the plantation could transform the riverbanks over the next decade—replacing stretches of barren char land with a permanent green belt while creating a potential source of income for local communities.