For a nation that prides itself on its greenery and scenic beauty, it is simply baffling just how much we seem to hate these same features, as can be seen with the recent case of at least 56 trees being felled along the Dhaka-Barisal highway all because of a forged tender.
Bangladesh is still classified as a least developed country which means that our continued urbanization will play an important part in our future growth -- but that growth does not have to come at the expense of what is an inextricable part of our national identity.
Last year the Dhaka South City Corporation cleared an entire strip of Satmosjid Road of several hundred trees as a part of its “beatification” drive, flagrantly disregarding existing laws and indeed warnings from environment experts about the consequences of such blanket tree-felling. If anything, our urban areas are the most in need of trees and dedicated green spaces as there is a proven connection between cutting down trees and increasing levels of the urban heat island effect.
Given just how intense summers can get in Bangladesh, and indeed our cities, trees offer a welcome respite from the hard sun while also keeping the temperature at manageable levels. Needless to say, we need more trees, not fewer.
As a nation fighting on the frontlines in the war against climate change, cutting down trees for no good reason is akin to shooting ourselves in the foot. Not only does this send mixed messages to the rest of the world -- in particular wealthy nations which have an imperative to pay reparations for their increasing carbon footprints -- but it also lowers our own defenses against natural calamities such as flooding.
Trees are not our enemies.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
