Umme Habiba Poly came to the capital from Lalmonirhat to attend the '90 Minutes Schooling' at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University yesterday. Like the lady, gardeners from several districts gathered at the university campus to exchange nothing significant --- just plants!"I especially traveled to get a grape plant. However, my name did not come up in the lottery," chuckled Poly adding, "Better luck next time."
On the other hand, gardeners whose name came up in the lottery, returned home with joy. Even Poly did not return empty-handed as the organizers of 'Green Bangladesh'- a Facebook platform - gifted other plants for free. Members of the virtual group members began to gather around 9:30 on the campus centering the schooling at 10:00. They attended the class, collect their gifts, gossiped and left the campus around 1:00pm.
"We have gifted nearly 300 plants today," said admin of the group ABM Billal Hossain. Visibly happy Billal told the Asian Age "I am feeling great after successfully completing such an event." Hossain, also an Assistant Secretary at Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat, recalled the previous week event on April 13. "More and more people are joining the green social movement," he added.
Meantime, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Professor AA Jamal Uddin narrated how they organized the group and running it. The Professor, one of the founders of Green Dhaka concept and a close associate of the former Dhaka North mayor, said Annisul Huq's death hit him hard and has been painful.
"After the death of the mayor, I just picked up the torch he lit," referring to Annis's love for plants. Prof Uddin conducts schoolings to develop the skills of a gardener. According to him, only distributing plants among the people cannot make the change if they do not have the knowledge about proper skills to ensure healthy plants.
"Thus the idea of schooling popped up in my mind. I provide technical support to the rooftop gardeners," he said, adding it was kind of "empowering people with the knowledge to turn Dhaka green." Both Hossain and Uddin believe Dhaka desperately needs efforts to check the diverse effect of global warming. After successive series of campaigns for rooftop gardening, now they are encouraging people without a roof top or any other space to go for indoor gardening.
"Sharing and gifting plants wouldn't financially benefit you. But, the mental satisfaction is more than something you can buy." Billal appears to be a very happy man without knowing his work is a "silent green revolution" which may one day turn the crowded and crammed capital into a beautiful shaded city with natural splash of colors with different types of flowers or fruits, gardeners said.
-Sohel Mahamud, AA
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