The month-long National Tree Fair and Tree Plantation Campaign 2026 will begin on July 9 alongside the Environment Fair 2026.
The campaign aims to create around 350,000 green jobs through its five-year plan to plant 250 million saplings across the country.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo announced the programme at a press conference at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to inaugurate the campaign at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka on July 9.
The environment minister said the government has formed a special cell under the Prime Minister's Office to implement the five-year plantation programme, which aims to plant and maintain 250 million trees in line with its 2026 election pledge.
He said the programme is expected to generate more than 350,000 jobs, mainly through nursery businesses and plantation maintenance, with around 10,000 new nursery entrepreneurs to be developed, particularly among rural women and youths.
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The Forest Department aims to plant 15 million indigenous saplings this year in treeless areas, along roads, canals, embankments and coastal regions. Afforestation is also under way on 4,800 hectares of recovered forest land, while 8.332 million saplings have already been planted.
The minister said plantation sites and tree growth will be monitored through GIS, remote sensing, drones and a National Tree Database under the Smart Forestry initiative.
The National Tree Fair in Dhaka will feature 120 stalls. Similar fairs will be held for 15 days in seven divisional headquarters, seven days in 56 district headquarters and three days in 29 upazilas.
The minister also said authorities took action against 1,525 establishments between January and June, imposing Tk 233.4 million in fines and disconnecting utility services to 112 illegal factories.
