Bishkhali riverbanks turn green as 50,000 trees reshape Bagerhat landscape

Once largely used as open river chars for seasonal cultivation and other activities, stretches along the Bishkhali River in Bagerhat are gradually turning green as 50,000 saplings planted by the Forest Department take root.

The plantation, covering about 50 kilometres along both banks of the river in Morelganj and Kachua upazilas, is already creating a striking green landscape amid the monsoon.

Neem, sissoo, mahogany, babla, jam, wood apple, amla, haritaki, wax apple, tamarind, guava, olive, arjun, casuarina and acacia are among the species planted on the river chars.

The saplings have been planted in rows, about two feet apart, with each one supported by a stake. Many have already sprouted fresh leaves, while regular rain has helped them grow vigorously.

For pedestrians travelling along the riverbanks, the emerging greenery has added a new dimension to the landscape.

The initiative is not simply about adding greenery. Under the Social Forestry Rules 2026, the trees are to be harvested and sold after 10 years, with the proceeds distributed among local beneficiaries and other stakeholders.

Local beneficiaries will receive 55 percent of the sale proceeds, while landowners will get 20 percent, union parishads 5 percent, the Tree Farming Fund 10 percent and the Forest Department 10 percent.

For many residents whose land borders the river chars, the plantation has therefore brought the prospect of a future financial return.

Nirmal Chandra Das, a retired schoolteacher from Kathipara village in Morelganj, owns two plots adjoining the Bishkhali riverbed. His three brothers also own land there.

He said the Forest Department planted saplings on the char and that they are helping protect the trees.

Officials collected copies of their national identity cards and told them they would receive a share of the proceeds when the trees are eventually sold.

But Das said he remains unsure about when the trees will be sold and how much he will receive.

Not everyone has benefited immediately from the plantation.

Parimal Pal, another resident of Kathipara, said his family had long used a char in front of their home to make and dry earthen pots and other household items.

The plantation has disrupted that activity to some extent.

He hopes, however, that receiving a share of the future tree-sale proceeds as a beneficiary will compensate for the loss.

Several other residents, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had previously cultivated seasonal vegetables on newly emerged chars and used vacant roadside areas for various purposes.

They said they can no longer use those areas after the Forest Department planted trees there.

Their main concern is uncertainty over when the trees will be sold and whether they will actually receive the promised share.

The Bishkhali plantation is part of a broader social forestry programme in Bagerhat.

According to the Social Forestry Division, the Forest Department planted 326,000 saplings along 326 kilometres across the district between fiscal 2021-22 and 2025-26.

It has also established mangrove forests on 60 hectares — 30 hectares in Rampal, 20 hectares in Morelganj and 10 hectares in Sharankhola. Golpata (nipa palm) has been planted along a five-kilometre stretch in Rampal.

Officials said river chars, roadsides and other suitable public spaces are being brought under the plantation programme.

Over the past 12 years, trees worth nearly Tk 5 crore have been sold in Bagerhat under the social forestry programme, with around 2,000 beneficiaries receiving their shares.

Bagerhat Divisional Forest Officer Md Shaheen Kabir said the Forest Department plants saplings every year on river and canal chars, along roads and in other suitable areas.

"This is a long-term investment for both the environment and the people living around these areas," he said.

He said the 50,000 saplings planted this year include 30,000 in the Morelganj section of the Bishkhali River and 20,000 in Kachua.

The department is regularly taking care of the new saplings as well as those planted in previous years, he said.

If properly maintained, the initiative could transform the riverbanks over the next decade — replacing stretches of bare char land with a permanent green belt while creating a source of income for thousands of local people.