Bangladesh Donates 20,000 Trees to Bolster Environmental Cooperation

MALÉ — The Government of Bangladesh has donated 20,000 trees to the Maldives in a symbolic ceremony held yesterday evening at Lonuziyaaraaiy Park.

The botanical contribution was officially handed over by the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Dr Khalilur Rahman. Accepting the gift on behalf of the government were Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam and Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy Ali Shareef. Following the handover, all three ministers planted trees together within the park grounds.

The gifted flora comprises three distinct categories: shade-giving trees, flowering trees, and fruit trees. This donation significantly surpasses previous international environmental contributions to the Maldives, eclipsing Sri Lanka’s historic record of gifting 1,000 trees.

Advancing National Green Initiatives

During the ceremony, Environment Minister Ali Shareef noted that the substantial donation resulted from successful bilateral discussions with his Bangladeshi counterpart, underscoring the deep ties between the two nations. He emphasised that the arrival of these trees will provide a major boost to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s ambitious national pledge to plant five million trees over a five-year period.

Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam echoed these sentiments, highlighting that both countries have continuously collaborated on vital environmental fronts and that the newly donated greenery will yield long-term benefits for future generations.

Shared Vulnerability and Resilience

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman pointed out that both nations face acute vulnerabilities to climate change. He explained that the donation symbolises a shared, resilient commitment to environmental preservation, noting that Bangladesh holds a well-established tradition of presenting trees to friendly nations as a gesture of cultural solidarity.

Under the framework of President Muizzu’s five-year tree-planting initiative, the 20,000 trees from Bangladesh will be distributed and planted across various regions throughout the Maldives.