A group of football supporters has launched a unique environmental campaign in Cox’s Bazar, planting and distributing 1,000 indigenous fruit, timber and medicinal tree saplings under the banner of Argentina Fans for Nature.
The programme was inaugurated on Saturday afternoon at Gol Chattar in Cox’s Bazar. The event was organised by Argentina Fans for Nature in collaboration with Argentina Fan Base Cox’s Bazar, with overall support from Chandrakali Foundation.
The programme began with the planting of a commemorative tree at the venue. More than 100 football supporters later received up to 10 saplings each. The distributed saplings included around 30 indigenous species, including mango, black plum, jackfruit, coconut, bael, Indian gooseberry, neem, drumstick, jarul, krishnachura, golden shower, arjun, bahera and mahua.
Among those present at the closing ceremony were Shakhawat Ullah, founder of Argentina Fans for Nature and president of Chandrakali Foundation; organisers of Argentina Fan Base Cox’s Bazar, including Ehsan Al Qutubi, Morshed Alam, Anik, Robin, Ahsan Sumon, Faruk and Inzamam; along with advisers to Chandrakali Foundation, environmental campaigners and football supporters.
Organisers said the initiative aims to channel the enthusiasm surrounding the FIFA World Cup into meaningful environmental action by encouraging young football fans to plant trees.
“There is no alternative to afforestation in addressing the impacts of climate change. We want to transform people’s passion for football into a sense of responsibility towards nature,” they said.
According to the organisers, around 4,000 indigenous tree saplings have already been planted and distributed across different districts of Bangladesh as part of the nationwide campaign. They also said the organisation would ensure regular maintenance of the saplings planted for the next two years.
Speaking at the event, founder Shakhawat Ullah announced that if Argentina wins the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the organisation will plant an additional 40,000 tree saplings across the country.
The initiative has drawn praise from local residents, who described it as an innovative way to promote environmental conservation and raise awareness of climate change through a shared passion for football.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Mohammad Morshed
