A cherished community-led tree plantation initiative along Gulshan Lake has been severely damaged after waste dredged from the lake was dumped directly onto the nursery, volunteers and residents say.
The 2.7-kilometre-long initiative, known as the “55Kadamtala Nursery,” was created through voluntary efforts beginning in January 2022 by local environmentalist Mahmud Rahman, his wife Orla Murphy, and a network of neighborhood volunteers.
Over four years, they cultivated thousands of flowering, fruit-bearing, and medicinal plants along the lakefront, creating habitats for birds, butterflies, mongooses, and other wildlife.
Children and teenagers from nearby Korail slum also participated, helping transform the lakefront into one of Dhaka’s rare urban green sanctuaries.
The garden now stretches from Bridge No 11 to the opposite side of Banani Club, covering parts of Gulshan-1, Banani and Baridhara.
However, recent waste removal operations carried out by Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) have destroyed large portions of the garden.
Two dredgers began unloading mud on 2 May, rapidly damaging large sections of the garden.
Mud and sludge dredged from the lake have been dumped directly onto the plants rather than being transported away, burying sections under thick layers of filth. Organizers estimate that nearly 400 metres of the nursery have been damaged, while city officials claim the affected area is only around 100 metres.
“This could have been avoided if the authorities had informed us in advance,” Mahmud Rahman said. “We could have relocated the plants, but now many trees have died, and the biodiversity at lower levels—where butterflies breed and turtles lay eggs—has been irreparably harmed.”
“I sent notes three times to Chief Waste Management Officer Humayun Kabir. Later he sent a junior official. Nothing useful happened,” Mahmud added.
A cormorant was seen perched on top of a silk cotton tree during a visit.
Pointing to a half-eaten fruit lying beneath a fruit-bearing tree nearby, Mahmud Rahman said, “Green pigeons come here for these.”
Banani Housing Society President Shawkat Ali Bhuiya criticised contractors for routinely dumping mud and waste along the lake banks instead of transporting it elsewhere. Residents noted that dry grass and low-growing plants, once vital habitats for insects and small animals, are now buried under sludge.
Local birdwatchers and residents have also witnessed the devastation firsthand.
“Last week, the krishnachura tree in front of my home was thrown into the water,” said Sharif Maria Rahman. “There was a crow’s nest on it, and many birds used to visit. Now the environment has been destroyed.”
Asked why environmental pollution occurred during the lake cleaning process, DNCC Chief Waste Management Officer Humayun Kabir declined to comment.
Later, an official from his office told TIMES that Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) owns Gulshan Lake.
However, under an understanding with RAJUK, Gulshan Society took responsibility for cleaning the lake.
At the society’s request, DNCC deployed two floating excavators to clean sections near the Korail slum and beside the Gulshan Society Mosque.
The official also claimed the large volume of waste and the surrounding trees limited available space to remove sludge properly.
The volunteers who nurtured the 55Kadamtala Nursery expressed frustration that years of effort to restore the lakefront and support urban biodiversity were undone in a matter of days, highlighting the tension between civic management and grassroots environmental initiatives in Dhaka.
