The National Tree Fair 2026, or Jatio Brikkho Mela, is now taking place at the old Dhaka International Trade Fair ground in Agargaon. The fair opened its doors and has continued for a full month, attracting large crowds of buyers, nursery owners and plant enthusiasts from across the capital since its very first day.
The Grand Inauguration: The fair was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on July 9 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre, also known as Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. Prime Minister emphasised the need to augment the forest cover and engage more citizens in climate action, and launched the Environment Fair 2026 and the National Tree Plantation Campaign. The programme started with recitations from the Holy Quran and readings from other religious scriptures before the official ceremony.
The Theme for This Year
The theme of the fair is “Bangladesh Let’s Beautify the Country through Tree Plantation First,” a slogan designed to link environmental restoration directly with national pride and public participation.
Who Was There
Environment, Forest & Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, State Minister Shaikh Faridul Islam and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Saimum Parvez were present at the inauguration. The Prime Minister also visited various stalls at the fairground and distributed a set of National awards, including the National Environment Award 2025, the National Wildlife Conservation Award 2026 and the National Tree Plantation Award 2025, along with profit-sharing cheques for outstanding beneficiaries.
What’s On View
- The national fair in Dhaka has set up 120 stalls.
- diverse range of saplings, indigenous and ornamental plants
- Consistent strong footfall from families, nursery buyers and hobby gardeners
- Fairs outside of Dhaka too
The celebrations are not confined to the capital. Simultaneously, tree fairs are being arranged for 15 days in each divisional headquarters, 7 days in 56 district headquarters and 3 days in 29 upazilas, making it one of the most widespread environmental drives of the year.
The Fair’s Larger Plan
Minister Mintoo said a special cell has been established in the Prime Minister’s Office to monitor a target of planting 250 million trees in the next five years, which is an ambitious target. The program will employ modern tools such as GIS mapping, remote sensing, a national tree database and drone technology to digitally track the progress of afforestation. The plan could create more than 350,000 new green jobs and promote the development of 10,000 new nursery entrepreneurs across the country, officials said.
A nod to the past
Speaking at the event, Minister Mintoo also explained the historical background of the tree plantation movement in Bangladesh, acknowledging former president Ziaur Rahman as the first to turn it into a state-led programme and formulate the country’s first national forest policy.
Taking Action Against Pollution
But the ministry also trumpeted its enforcement efforts against environmental violators. Between January and June this year, 1,525 establishments were penalised for violating environmental laws, with fines amounting to hundreds of crores of taka.
Why This Matters
For the residents of Dhaka, the fair is an easy and affordable way to bring greenery to their homes, whether it is a mango sapling for the balcony or an ornamental plant for the veranda. But when visitors buy items from the stalls, they are not just decorating their surroundings. They are playing their part, one tree at a time, in a national effort to counter the effects of climate change and dwindling urban forest cover.
Practical information for visitors
The fair is open to the public daily at Agargaon until early August, giving residents of Dhaka plenty of time to visit, explore the stalls and pick up saplings before the month-long event wraps up.
Summary
The Jatio Brikkho Mela or National Tree Fair 2026 is running for a month at Agargaon in Dhaka with 120 stalls, and district and upazila-level fairs are being held across the country as part of a five-year plan to plant 250 million trees across Bangladesh.
