Photo : BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, July 24, 2026 (BSS) – The government’s programme of planting 25 crore trees in five years has further increased demand for saplings significantly boosting the nursery sector in Rangpur agricultural region.
 
In addition to the increase in sales of saplings, private nursery owners have started producing more saplings of timber, fruit, and medicinal plants in their nurseries in rural areas, to do better business and help the government make the programme a success.
 
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials said the private sector nursery business continues expanding rapidly, changing the fortunes of many rural families and boosting the rural economy in the Rangpur agricultural region.
 
Recently, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced and subsequently launched the government programme to plant 25 crore trees across Bangladesh over the next five years, with priority to be given to local and environment-friendly species.
 
Since the Prime Minister's announcement, demand and sales of saplings have increased in nurseries as government departments and agencies, educational institutions, and leaders of BNP and its affiliates have started planting trees.
 
Additional Director at Rangpur regional office of the DAE Md Shirajul Islam said that the tree plantation campaign has reached a new level after the government announced to plant 25 crore saplings in five years.
 
The nursery business has become a highly profitable venture, helping rural people reduce poverty and achieve self-reliance, while also improving the environment, ecosystems, and biodiversity, and restoring balance to severely damaged nature.
 
“About one-lakh people, including nursery entrepreneurs, male and female farm-laborers and sapling traders are directly or indirectly involved in the whole process of producing, processing and marketing of nursery saplings in the region,” he said.
 
Talking to BSS, Abdul Ohid Sheikh of village Horkoli under Rangpur Sadar upazila said he began his nursery business by setting up ‘Nasim Nursery’ naming it after his son Nasim at the Horkoli area long ago.
 
“The demand for saplings is showing an increasing trend since the Prime Minister recently announced and subsequently launched the government programme to plant 25 crore trees across Bangladesh over the next five years,” he said.
 
“At present, I have expanded my nurseries on 33 acres of land, including six acres of my own lands and 27 acres taken on lease at Horkoli, Sholeyasha, Rotirampur and Modern Mour areas in Sadar upazila and Rangpur township” he said.
 
“There are some 10-lakh saplings of different varieties of fruit, wood and medicinal trees at my nurseries where more than 120 farm-labourers are working at salaries between Taka 8,000 and Taka 12,000 per month,” Ohid said.
 
Nursery owner Abdul Bari of Muhuripara village in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur narrated how he started his nursery business on two acres of land in nearby Khafrikhal Sarderpara village seven years ago and achieved self-reliance.
 
He also said that the demand and sale of saplings marked an increase recently after the government’s announcement of planting 25 crore saplings across the country in five years.
  
"Currently, my nursery has about 40,000 growing saplings of 50 species of various timber, fruit, flower and medicinal plants. The minimum price of these saplings may be Taka 40 lakh." 
 
Similarly, nursery owner Ripon Mia of Paschim Kursha Shikarpara village in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur started nursery business 18 years ago. 
 
“I took up the nursery business as a profession. Our nursery, which covers 120 decimals of the land, now has 80,000 saplings of 160 varieties of local and foreign fruits, timber, flowers and medicinal plants,” he said. 
 
Ripon has a target of producing and selling 1.50 lakh saplings from his nursery this season as the sale and demand has increased recently.