Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the World Environment Day and Environment Fair-2026 along with the National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair-2026 tomorrow at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo said on Wednesday.
The minister made the announcement at a press conference held at the ministry’s conference room at the Secretariat, saying this year’s theme of the campaign and fair is “Let us Beautify the Country Through Tree Plantation, Bangladesh First.”
Mintoo said the Prime Minister has given his consent to formally inaugurate the programme, which will mark the beginning of the month-long National Tree Fair in Dhaka.
Apart from the capital, tree fairs will be organised for 15 days at all seven divisional headquarters, seven days at 56 district headquarters and three days at 29 upazilas across the country, he said.
A total of 120 stalls will be set up at the National Tree Fair, which begins on 9 July.
Highlighting the government’s afforestation plans, Mintoo said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has introduced the concept of “Smart Forestry” to tackle the growing challenges of climate change.
“Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, Bangladesh’s forest management has entered a modern era where technology and nature will work together to ensure sustainable forest conservation and environmental protection,” he said.
The minister said the government has prepared a master plan to plant 25 crore trees over the next five years while introducing smart forestry nationwide.
A special national-level cell has been formed under the Prime Minister’s Office to implement the initiative in line with the government’s election manifesto, he added.
According to Mintoo, the programme will use satellite-based monitoring, along with Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing technology, to digitally track the location and growth of planted trees.
A National Tree Database and a central Tree Monitoring System will also be introduced to monitor the survival rate of every planted tree, he said.
He added that drone technology would be used to monitor plantations in remote char areas, coastal belts and forest regions.
The minister said the afforestation initiative is expected to create more than 350,000 green jobs over the next five years, including employment opportunities for rural women and young people through nursery businesses and plantation maintenance.
State Minister for Environment Sheikh Faridul Islam, ministry secretary and heads of different departments were present at the press conference.
