Dhaka University is preparing to remove more than 2,200 hazardous trees from its campus after a comprehensive tree census found they pose safety risks and experts concluded that most can no longer be saved due to years of unplanned urbanization.
The university has asked its Arboriculture Center to provide a map of the identified trees and plans to preserve those that can be saved while removing and replacing the rest, officials said.
Dhaka University Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Almujaddade Alfasane told Dhaka Tribune: "We are now working on a plan to remove the hazardous trees identified by the Arboriculture Center and replace them with new ones. We have asked the center to provide us with a map of the identified trees. Wherever it is possible to preserve the trees, we will do so. Where it is not possible, we will plant new trees."
"We cannot think only about the trees. The safety of our students is our top priority," he added.
Professor Jashim Uddin of Dhaka University's Department of Botany said there is little possibility of saving the 2,213 trees currently classified as hazardous.
"Recovering the trees that are in a hazardous state is extremely difficult because most of them reached this condition due to unplanned urbanization," he said.
"To save these trees, all the concrete surrounding their bases would have to be removed because trees gradually die when the pores in their bark through which they absorb water and nutrients become blocked. At present, we do not have the capacity to remove that concrete."
"The only practical option now is to remove the hazardous trees and plant new ones in their place. That way, we can at least restore the tree cover they leave behind," he added.
The findings are based on a tree census conducted by the university's Arboriculture Center.
The census identified 17,161 trees representing 277 species from 62 families across the campus. Of the total species recorded, 58% are native and 42% are foreign. By the number of individual trees, native species account for 54% and foreign species 46%.
Among the 15 most common tree species on campus, five are foreign: mahogany (1st), mast tree (4th), MacArthur palm (8th), rain tree (11th), and teak (13th).
The campus's trees collectively hold an estimated 9,900 metric tons of above-ground biomass, 2,370 metric tons of below-ground biomass, and 4,650 metric tons of carbon stock.
The census also found that 25% of the campus's trees are fruit-bearing, 22% support wildlife, 21% are medicinal, 20% produce timber, and 12% are ornamental.
Tree health was assessed using 11 parameters, under which 1,811 trees were found to have health issues. Separately, 2,213 trees were classified as hazardous based on five tree-risk assessment parameters.
According to the census, the most common hazard, affecting 1,052 trees, was tree crowns coming into contact with buildings, walls, or other structures, posing risks to infrastructure and public safety.
Another 722 trees were growing dangerously close to electrical wires, while 402 were found to be structurally unbalanced and vulnerable to falling during storms. The survey also found the roots of 19 trees damaging roads, while another 18 trees were growing extremely close to roadways.
Among the 1,811 trees identified with health issues, the largest group—569 trees—had root growth obstructed by roads or walls. Epiphytes, plants that grow on trees without drawing nutrients from them, were found on 514 trees.
Officials also found nails driven into 159 trees to hang posters and banners, while 125 trees had damaged bark and 113 had broken branches. In addition, 99 trees had weakened trunks, 94 were dead, 77 were affected by diseases or pathogens, 43 had brittle branches, 13 had damaged roots, and five showed abnormal leaf discoloration.
Professor Jashim Uddin said the highest concentrations of hazardous trees are around Mall Chattar, Fuller Road, and the Amtala area near the Proctor's Office.
Among the most hazardous are the mast trees lining both sides of the Nilkhet arch gate, branches of the rain tree at VC Chattar, the areca palms in the TSC area, the neem tree beside the gate of Mokarrom Bhaban inside the Pharmacy Garden, the eucalyptus trees near the Curzon Hall gate in front of the EEE Department, and the Christmas trees opposite Curzon Hall.
He also expressed concern about several trees inside Sir Salimullah Muslim Hall, trees in front of Udayan Higher Secondary School on Fuller Road, and foreign tree species along the eastern side of Mall Chattar, warning that they could collapse and cause accidents at any time.