Staff Correspondent

A progress review meeting of the dedicated cell formed to implement the government’s electoral pledge of planting 25 crore trees over five years was held on Wednesday, revealing that nearly 3.57 crore saplings have been planted across the country so far.

Chaired by Political Adviser to the Prime Minister and President of the Plantation Cell Nazrul Islam Khan, the 5th meeting of the cell took place at the conference room of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr. Md. Saimum Parvez were present at the session.

Presiding over the meeting, Nazrul Islam Khan described tree plantation as a social movement requiring heightened public engagement. He warned that no irregularities or corruption in the plantation drive would be tolerated.

Environment Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo directed the Forest Department to expand nursery capacity and select tree species based on district-level suitability and economic value, noting that all ministries must factor in natural sapling mortality in their four-year action plans. 

State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam said,   aligning species selection with local weather and topography will boost survival rates, announcing plans to plant 2 crore Keora saplings in coastal belts during December and January.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr. Md. Saimum Parvez stressed post-plantation care, protection, and systematic monitoring, instructing all participating ministries to maintain site-specific plantation data.

According to the progress report presented at the meeting, 3,56,93,000 saplings were planted between February 17 and September 15, 2026, achieving 69.36 percent of the target set for the current year, which aims for 5.15 crore saplings. Six government departments have already fulfilled their individual targets.

The meeting also reviewed progress on the "One Tree One Child" initiative targeting students, where five-year plans allocated targets of 6.15 crore saplings for the Secondary and Higher Education Division, 5.04 crore for Primary and Mass Education, and 2.15 crore for Technical and Madrasah Education. Discussions further covered the development of a "Tree Monitoring App," central database, and dashboard for real-time field tracking.

Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Nurul Islam joined the meeting online, while cell member and technical expert Jamail Bashir JB shared insights on expanding public-private partnerships and utilizing corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. Environment Ministry Acting Secretary Dr. Fahmida Khanom and Land Ministry Acting Secretary Md. Emdadul Hoque Chowdhury were among senior officials present.