Expectation for green Bangladesh

Sheikh Nafis Ifran :

Recently, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Natore district Asma Shaheen has started rooftop gardening on the DC office of Natore which is a big inspiration for us. We can increase reforestation at the edges of rivers, seas and ponds which will reduce the river erosions.

But unfortunately, some greedy people occupy the riverside and make their own chemical industries, factories by polluting water and cutting tress. We have to stop their illegal works bring them under the strict laws and save our lands, river and forests.

Recently, I travelled by train from Dhaka to Dinajpur.

While crossing the Banani area, I saw that the well-known green environment beside the rail tracks and the Banani rail station had been lost. I was sad and surprised.

There were a few trees left there but not as many as I saw some years back. The full area was covered with dust, construction materials, and rubbish.

In the northern part of our country, there are only a few trees and vast barren fields to be seen in the surroundings, especially in Dinajpur, Joypurhat, Naogoan and Bogura districts.

I acknowledged that there is usually a small number of trees in the Northern part of our country.

In this situation, the rail authority should have planted more trees but they didn’t do it till now.

Our motherland, Bangladesh, is well known for her beauty six seasons, rivers, and greenery.

She has forests, rivers, hills, hillocks, etc. But it is embarrassing that we are gradually losing these precious resources because of our whimsical behaviours.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, at least 25 per cent of a country’s land area should be surrounded by forests for the ecological balance.

But at present, we have only 14.47 per cent forest area left, where we had 17 per cent ten decades ago. The forest area is indiscriminately being shattered by the unaware people in our country.

It is also worth mentioning here that when the previous administration planned to establish the direct rail connectivity between Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar, they constructed a new rail track connection from Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar, they destroyed a large number of hills, trees, and hillocks indiscriminately far beyond its necessity.

As a result, during the monsoon, terrible landslides which is causing loss of lives and property are causing.

It has also effected a lot to the wild creatures and their lifestyles. When the wild animals specially the wild elephants try to cross the area, they crossed over the tracks. Although there are several Elephant Overpasses in the spot but these were immaturely built for them and unable to use.

We cannot let Bangladesh be destroyed in this way.
Our lovely country is called green Bangladesh and the land of six seasons. These are her biggest attributes.

But the saddest matter is, these features are gradually turning into golden pasts for our own cruel deeds.Will we never see the green Bangladesh again? Will our Bangladesh no longer remain the land of six seasons? Will our Bangladesh end like this? No way.

We must save our motherland and her greenery beauty. We must create public awareness and inform each and every citizen about the deadly impacts of deforestation in Bangladesh. It is high time to make Bangladesh green again.

(Writer is a first semester BBA
student of Army IBA, Savar).