STORY: Tree fair in Bangladesh capital woos nature lovers
DATELINE: June 18, 2023
LENGTH: 0:04:23
LOCATION: Dhaka
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the tree fair
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Bengali): DINARA SHARMIN, Visitor
3. various of the tree fair
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Bengali): MOSTAFIZA TINA, Visitor
5. various of the tree fair
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Bengali): MD ABDUR RAHMAN, Businessman
7. various of the tree fair
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (Bengali): FAISAL AHMED, Nursery owner
9. various of the tree fair

STORYLINE:

Nature lovers in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka these days are busy thronging the national tree fair, looking for their favorite greenery among exquisite plants of various kinds from home and abroad.
 
It is a great treat for nature lovers here as some stall owners participating in the month-long fair showcase exquisite topiary plants of various kinds from abroad, China to be more specific.
   
The fair, held at a popular site beside the Bangabandhu International Conference Center, also known as the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center, kicked off on June 5, aiming to encourage gardening and tree-planting among Dhaka city dwellers.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (Bengali): DINARA SHARMIN, Visitor
"My name is Dinara Sharmin. I'm from Banani (area) in Dhaka. We've bought malta trees, mango trees of various varieties, moringa trees, papaya trees, flowering plants, some plants that can be planted indoors.
Different types of trees are available in the same place, so coming to the fair, we're buying different types of trees from the same place.
Many birds will come (if you plant a tree at home). We plant trees on balconies, plant trees indoors, which look beautiful and are good for the environment."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Bengali): MOSTAFIZA TINA, Visitor
"We get oxygen when we plant trees. It is good for the house. It is good for people and good for the environment. Besides, it is beautiful to look at.
If these trees are on the roof of the house, it is convenient to take care. The tree keeps the house cool. There are a lot of advantages."
   
Md Abdur Rahman, a businessman, said if this kind of fair is held every year, it will give people a lot of joy as trees are oxygen factories.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Bengali): MD ABDUR RAHMAN, Businessman
"My name is Md Abdur Rahman. I'm a businessman. My home is at Motijheel (in Dhaka).
This is a tree fair, if this kind of fair is held every year, it will really give us a lot of joy as trees are oxygen factories.
And our environment will be much more standardized and we can take oxygen for our breath.
As climate is being changed, tree fair is very important and much needed, and I hope this tree fair will be held every year."

Faisal Ahmed, a proprietor of one local nursery, set up a stall at the fair like in previous years and showcased mainly plants he procured from China.
   
SOUNDBITE 4 (Bengali): FAISAL AHMED, Nursery owner
"I'm Faisal Ahmed. I'm owner of Faisal Nursery. This nursery is about 30 years old. It is a nursery established by my father. I'm looking after it for seven or eight years.
In my nursery, many indigenous and endangered plants and various home and abroad forest plants with flowers and fruits are available.
We participate in this fair every year. We've participated this time and this year we're getting a lot of people. We're getting to know many new customers along with our old customers. We're encouraging many people to plant trees.
Besides, we have bonsai lovers who are real tree lovers, many of them like to do bonsai. Among the bonsai for them, we have the Chinese banyan tree bonsai, which can be estimated to be 17 to 18 years old or more.
People are interested in it, in fact this tree is a very nice tree for tree lovers, so people show interest and take pictures, there are many people who want to collect, hopefully they will come forward to see this tree and buy it."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Dhaka.
(XHTV)