Sirajul Islam of Galachipa upazila in Patuakhali claims to have planted one million trees in the last 70 years of his life, transforming the landscape of his village.
Locals adore Sirajul’s planting of trees, and more and more individuals in the community are inspired to plant trees following in his footsteps.
Sirajul, now in his 80s, is afflicted with a number of illnesses at the moment. Among his many regrets is not having been able to afford more modern medical care. Sirajul's final wish, aside from monetary support, is to see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Galachipa Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdullah Al Helal said: “He learnt about planting trees on his own initiative. This is very uncommon. The administration will provide him with every kind of assistance. The upazila administration will give him all necessary supplies, such as insecticides, fertilizers, seeds, and tree seedlings, if he so desires.”
Dakua Union Parishad Chairman Biswajit Roy said: “I was so very impressed by the tree planting of Sirajul Islam. He has changed the face of this village in my union, just by planting trees.”
He added: "From the Forest Department, some saplings of trees are allocated to the union parishad officially; from there we will make arrangements to give some saplings to Sirajul Islam.”
Sirajul passed Kamil (master’s) in 1986 and served as an imam at various mosques.
He had a fondness for planting trees even at the age of 10-11 and has continued to plant trees since then.
Sirajul claimed he has planted coconut, betel nut, guava, grapefruit, palm, mahogany, chambal and different fruit trees.
He said he has planted trees not only around his own house but also around the homes of others, on roadsides, whenever he has found an empty space. He also takes care of them later, he told Dhaka Tribune.
Not limited to his area only, Sirajul has planted various species of trees in at least 10 surrounding villages.
When inquired about the inspiration behind his tree planting, Sirajul said: "As stated in Hadith, it is a Sunnah to plant trees. Planting trees is also based on the idea that it provides oxygen. Additionally, trees are planted on the side of the road to offer shade to pedestrians."
Sirajul mentioned that he sells trees when in need of money, but he ensures that half of the proceeds go to those who initially planted the trees. The remaining funds are dedicated to the production of seedlings at his home.
While he used to purchase seedlings from the market and plant them, Sirajul is currently unable to do so due to financial constraints. He owns 60 decimals of land, sustaining him for three months, and for the remaining nine months of the year, he relies on help from others. Despite facing challenges in buying tree seedlings, he has taken to producing them at home.
Delwar Howladar, Sirajul's neighbour and nephew, said: "Planting trees has become an addiction for my elderly uncle. He takes a pitcher full of water and pours it at the base of the tree. Some people get annoyed when he plants a tree in their house, but everyone is appeased by uncle's smile. Many people call him a tree enthusiast.
"During the installation of electricity lines in our area, some of my uncle's trees were cut down. Unable to save the trees, my uncle cried. He is currently facing various health issues, and due to financial constraints, advanced treatment is not possible."