Bangladesh is amazingly green. Yet, historically, our natural forests have always been limited. In 2000, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics estimated our total forest area to be 2.6 million hectares.

The country's largest natural breeding ground for carp, Halda River, has been under threat owing to various manmade hazards, including industrial waste and sewage contamination, sand extraction and illegal fishing.

For many struggling Lalmonirhat families, relatively lucrative tobacco farming appears to be a blessing. But cultivating the crop brings significant health consequences. Worse still, with children commonly engaged in tending fields, the health of many youngsters is compromised.