Wall collapse damages Sylhet’s Sugandha Nursery

A national award-winning Sugandha Nursery in Sylhet has suffered extensive damage after a boundary wall collapsed onto its premises.

The owner claimed that a staff quarter and four indoor orchid sheds were destroyed, causing losses estimated at around Tk 1.5 million.

An employee of the nursery and his child were also injured in the incident.

The accident occurred at Sugandha Nursery in the Harpara area of Khadimpara Union under Sylhet Sadar Upazila at around 5:00am on June 20.

According to eyewitnesses and nursery sources, a neighbouring business establishment, Shah Firoz Enterprise, had recently constructed a boundary wall adjacent to the nursery.

Local residents alleged that the unusually high wall had been built using substandard materials.

Heavy rainfall over the past few days reportedly weakened the structure, which suddenly collapsed onto the nursery on Friday morning.

Thousands of fruit, forest and medicinal plant seedlings were damaged.

An electric pole also fell onto the nursery during the collapse, creating the risk of a more serious accident.

Monowara Begum, owner of Sugandha Nursery and a national award-winning entrepreneur, expressed deep sorrow over the incident.

“We nurture every seedling like a child. The nursery that I built through years of hard work has been devastated by the wall collapse.

Even a week after the incident, the owner of the wall has not taken any action, which is very disappointing,” she said.

She sought the intervention of the administration and demanded compensation to recover from the losses.

Sylhet Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Khoshnur Rubaiyat said, “We are aware of the reputation of Sugandha Nursery.

However, no formal complaint regarding the wall collapse has yet been submitted.

If the affected owner files a written complaint, the matter will be investigated and legal action will be taken accordingly.”

Sugandha Nursery, which has received several national awards, is widely regarded as a trusted institution among gardening enthusiasts in Sylhet.

The significant financial loss caused by the incident has sparked concern among local businesspeople and plant lovers, who have demanded prompt legal action against those responsible.