Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said her
government aims to protect the country, its people and the nature from the
natural calamities, urging all to plant saplings at empty place of houses and
offices to protect the environment.
"Our target is to secure the country, its people and
the nature from the natural calamities," she said.
The premier made the remarks while inaugurating the
'National Tree Plantation Campaign, Tree Fair 2024' and the 'Environment Fair
2024' at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here marking
the World Environment Day.
She also conferred Bangabandhu Award for Wildlife
Conservation 2023 and 2024, the National Environment Award-2023 and Prime
Minister's National Award for Plantation-2022 and 2023 on the winners.
Cheques were also distributed among the beneficiaries of
social afforestation programme.
The prime minister said, "We have to protect the nature
as it gives us everything. If we want to live healthy life, we need a beautiful
environment and everyone should focus on it".
To protect the nature and the environment, she called upon
all to plant saplings at empty places wherever they have either it is in the
houses or on the roofs and offices.
"I request you all to plant saplings wherever you have
bare places. You can have fruit, if you plant fruit bearing trees, you can get
enough money by selling wood, if you plant wood trees while medicines are also
produced from the herbal trees," she added.
Everyone should plant trees on the premises of offices,
schools, colleges, mosques and madrashas and even on the rooftops along with
houses.
"You can get shade for the trees which give you
comfort. There is also self-satisfaction of eating fruits and vegetables from
the own gardens," she remarked.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber
Hossain Chowdhury, President of the ministry's Parliamentary Standing Committee
Dipankar Talukder and Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed, among others, spoke at the
programme.
A video documentary on the overall activities of the
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry was screened on the occasion.
Sheikh Hasina briefly described her government's various
measures like planting trees in large number, building cyclone centres and
cyclone tolerant houses in the coastal areas alongside formulating a number of
laws, policies and rules to protect the country and its people from the adverse
impact of the climate change.
"We are working to protect the country and its people
from the natural disasters alongside ensuring food security by growing more
food," she said.
The prime minister said they have a target of planting 8.38
crore saplings during the monsoon season aimed at increasing country's
afforestation.
Sheikh Hasina, also President of the Awami League, said her
party had set a target to plant one crore saplings across the country marking
the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She said the target has already surpassed and her party men
have been continuing planting saplings from the first day of Bangla month of
Ashar since 1985.
The prime minister said the Sundarbans protects the people
and their assets from the devastating storm, flood and tidal surge.
"So, we have to ensure more protection for the
Sundarbans," she added.
The head of the government described Bangladesh as one of
the pioneers in the world regarding coastal afforestation.
"Some 261,570 hectares of land in the coastal areas
have so far been brought under afforestation," she said, adding that a
green belt was created on 89,853 hectares of lands since 2009.
The prime minister said her government has formed 28
self-management committees in 22 places to protect the biodiversity.
She said her government has organised Wildlife Olympiad this
year to encourage the youth to come forward in saving biodiversity.
The premier said they are encouraging the social
afforestation among the beneficiaries of the programme.
She said the beneficiaries of the social afforestation
programme are now getting Tk 9 lakh, 8 lakh and 7 lakh as interest for looking
after the trees as her government had increased the allowance to 70 percent
from 30 percent.
"There is no scope to misappropriate their money which
they did not get accordingly earlier," she added.
She also said they have formed a climate trust fund with own
finances and formulated Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan 2022-2041 alongside the
adaptation and mitigation plan to survive from the natural disasters.
The prime minister said her government is also working to
ensure food security.
Keeping in mind the natural calamities, she said her
government is pursuing research to develop water-tolerant varieties of rice.
The premier said drought-tolerant varieties of rice have
developed, adding that more research is going on for its further improvement.
"We need more research on water and drought tolerant
rice varieties for their commercial use," she said.
She asked all concerned not to excessive use of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, suggesting producing agri products
in natural ways.
