BATB role lauded

The appreciation came when he was speaking at a function on the city's Theatre Institute premises, marking the free distribution of tree saplings by the BATB authority. "We must plant more trees to attain economic self-reliance and maintain ecological balance in the country," he said.

The state minister urged people to come forward to make the government's plan a success in turning the whole country into a botanical garden through increasing the share of forest lands up to 20 percent by 2015.

According to the officials concerned, BATB authorities will distribute a total of 50 lakh tree saplings free of cost throughout the country this year under the national tree plantation programme. During the last 26 years, they distributed a total of 1.26 crore saplings among the people as well as private and public organisations.

With BATB Divisional Leaf Manager Giasuddin in the chair, Additional Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong M Golam Quddus, Conservator of Forests Chittagong Salahuddin Ahmed, Divisional Director of the Department of Environment Mosharraf Hossain, Director (Operation) of BATB Paul Thomson and Additional Director of the Agriculture Extension Department Anwarulla also spoke on the occasion.

Later, the state minister distributed saplings among the representatives of different organisations.