People are gathering around a fig tree near Bochaibari Canal in Dhamrai, on the outskirts of the capital which is extracting water-like liquid through its stems and leaves. The canal, located under Kushura Union, runs through farmlands on both sides.
The local people said they have never witnessed or heard about such a wonder of nature.
On Tuesday, local farmers discovered that the tree is extracting liquid, and some curious people started collecting the liquid in bottles and plastic bags. Some were even seen rubbing their bodies against the tree, hoping for some kind of miracle.
Dhaka TribuneMany people are now coming from distant places to see the wonder of nature.
Experts say the tree is nothing different than an ordinary 40-foot tree. But its surface is wet and muddy. Local people said that a group of farmers saw liquid coming out of the tree, and the news spread like wildfire.
Chandana Rani Das and Arpana Rani Das were standing under the tree with plastic bags and collecting the liquid extracted from the tree. They came to the spot from their village, which is 30km away, after hearing of the wonder tree.
"I heard about such miraculous trees previously. When I learned about this tree, I took no time to visit the place. I applied the water to my body and drank it. I also collected some for others in my house in the hope that it will heal our diseases," Chandana said.
Sohel Rana, a teacher from Bannakhola village, said: "I heard about water coming out of the tree in the morning. I came to witness this amazing view. I saw that the whole tree was wet with water."
This reporter contacted Dhamrai Upazila Agriculture Officer Ariful Hasan, who said that the process of liquid falling from the tree is normal.
"Every plant absorbs water from the soil and distributes that water to its different stems and leaves. Sometimes a plant absorbs excess water. The excess water is extracted by the plant through the stems.
"There is also a connection between this event and heat waves. As heat increases, water absorption in trees also increases. When the temperature decreases, the surplus water inside the plant comes out," he explained.
Professor Md Nuhu Alam of the Department of Botany of Jahangirnagar University also termed the process quite normal, saying the tree is currently letting out the excess water it took from the soil. "It is a very normal process," he added.
Asked whether it is safe to drink liquid coming out of trees, Prof Alam said it might be poisonous and must be tasted before consumption.
