Prime Minister Tarique Rahman officially inaugurated World Environment Day and Environment Fair 2026 alongside the National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair 2026 on Thursday at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in the capital.

Operating under the theme "Let's Beautify the Country Through Tree Plantation, Bangladesh Comes First", the opening ceremony commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran followed by readings from other religious scriptures, after which a documentary showcasing the current administration's milestones in environmental protection, forestry and climate action was screened.

During the event, the Prime Minister conferred the National Environment Award 2025, the National Wildlife Conservation Award 2026, and the National Tree Plantation Award 2025, in addition to distributing dividend cheques to beneficiaries of the social forestry initiative.

The event was chaired by Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, with Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Environment, Forest and Climate Affairs Dr. Md. Saimum Parvez and State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam addressing the assembly as special guests.

Following the formal proceedings, the Prime Minister planted olive, jarul, and neem saplings on the venue's grounds before touring various exhibitions at the Tree Fair located at the old Trade Fair Ground, an annual showcase designed to foster public engagement in conservation, forest growth, and climate resilience.

The comprehensive campaign extends far beyond the capital, featuring a month-long national exhibition in Dhaka alongside 15-day tree fairs across seven divisional cities, seven-day exhibitions across 56 district headquarters, and three-day events in 29 upazilas, with the Dhaka fair alone hosting 120 participating stalls.

To deliver on a key government master plan targeting the plantation of 25 crore saplings over the next five years to preserve ecological equilibrium, a specialized cell has been set up under the Prime Minister's Office to digitally track afforestation using GIS, remote sensing, a National Tree Database, and drone technology.

This technology-forward approach is projected to generate roughly 350,000 new green jobs and foster 10,000 nursery entrepreneurs nationwide.

Tracing the historical roots of the movement, officials recalled that Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman first elevated tree planting into a national campaign by establishing the country's inaugural National Forest Policy in 1979, a legacy further expanded in 1994 when former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia initiated the National Tree Fair and championed social forestry, which the current administration continues through sustainable, tech-enabled management.

Earlier on June 13, Tarique Rahman formally commenced the nationwide five-year tree-planting drive by putting down a Garjan sapling within the Malumghat Reserved Forest at Chakaria in Cox's Bazar.