The Sylhet divisional tree plantation campaign and tree fair drew a huge crowd on Monday, a public holiday for Shabe Barat, a religious occasion of the Muslims.
The organisers and stall owners said that people began to pour in from the late afternoon.
Service holder Shahana Begum bought her 6-year-old son Dihan to take a view of the great diversity of plants presented at the fair.
‘Instead of taking him to the fun parks or shopping malls I brought him here hoping that it would grow his love for nature and forest,’ she said.
For college teacher Sheul Manjur, who came with his wife and 4-year-old daughter, the attractively decorated stalls and big collection of plants in bright flowers brought much pleasure.
Apart from many fruit and forest species, the fair also showcased a vast number of flower bearing plants, including parul, rajaniganha, palash, sheuli, kamini, jui, beli, malati, tagar, hasnahena, rose, night queen, Japanese rangan, golden queen, juniper and cherry, said the officials at the information cell set up at the fair ground.
The prices of the plants in general ranged between Tk 10 and Tk 1,500, while bonsai plants and golden barrel cactus were even pricier.
‘Bonsai plants and golden barrel cactus sold at Tk 2,000 at the lowest and Tk 25,000 at the highest at this fair,’ said Mahbubur Rahman, an information cell official.
He also informed that on average around 10,000 saplings and plants were selling at the fair every day.
Bagan Bari Nursery owner Mukhlisur Rahman, who was jubilant with the turnover he had made so far at the fair, viewed the programme from a greater necessity yet.
‘The fair will hopefully encourage people to plant more trees and boost their love for greenery,’ he said.
The fair, being held at the Sylhet Government Alia Madrassah ground at the city, comprises 35 stalls and a pavilion.
Organised jointly by the district administration, divisional forest department and agricultural extension department, the fair began on July 3 to close on July 22.
-With New Age input
