Dhaka, Broadcasting News Corporation : Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Environment Fair and Tree Fair on June 5, World Environment Day at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center. Prime Minister will also auspiciously inaugurate the National Tree Plantation Program by planting two saplings of Palash and Bell trees on this day.
Environment Minister said these things at the press conference organized in the meeting room of the Ministry on the occasion of World Environment Day and Environment Fair under the theme ‘Land Restoration, Desertification’ and Drought Resilience’ and the National Tree Planting Campaign and Tree Fair 2024 under the theme ‘Decorate the country with trees, enrich Bangladesh’ (Brikkho Diye Sajai Desh, Sammriddha Kori Bangladesh.) The environment minister said that the environment fair to be held in Sherebangla Nagar will run from June 5 to June 11, and the tree fair will run from July 5 to July 13, 2024. The fair will run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Bangabandhu Award for Wildlife Conservation 2023 and 2024, National Environment Medal 2023, Prime Minister’s National Award for Plantation 2022 and 2023, and dividend checks will be distributed among the beneficiaries of Social Forestry at the inauguration ceremony. The minister said that the World Environment Day is being celebrated in all districts and upazilas of the country and in 100 educational institutions in Dhaka city. On the occasion of Environment Day, children’s painting, educational institution debates and slogan competitions are organized. Tree fairs will be organized at national, divisional, district, and upazila levels. On this occasion, painting and writing competition has been organized for children. Tree saplings will be distributed to various educational institutions. Saber Chowdhury referred to the various initiatives of the government to protect the environment and prevent land degradation and said that the government is implementing various projects, such as sustainable land management to reduce land degradation and preserve biodiversity. To reduce the use of top soil in brick kilns, guidelines have been formulated for the use of blocks instead of bricks in government construction works. Coordinated activities have been undertaken to restore encroached forest land. As a result, from October 2020 to April 2024, about 30,000 acres of forest land across the country has been cleared and afforestation has been completed. The Minister called upon people from all walks of life to participate in the Environment Fair and Tree Fair to be held next to Bangabandhu International Conference Center from Wednesday, June 5. The secretary of the ministry, Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary (Development) Md Mosharraf Hossain; Additional Secretary (Paduni) Tapan Kumar Biswas, Director General of Environment Department Dr. Abdul Hamid and Chief Conservator of Forests of Forest Department Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury along with senior officials of the Ministry, Departmemt of Environment and Forest Department were present on the occasion.