The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with three organizations, LankaBangla Finance PLC., Green Savers, and Community Town Federation, for an envisioned tree plantation program in the DNCC region. The agreement was signed at a conference room at the DNCC headquarters in Nagar Bhaban on Thursday, October 5, 2023. Md. Atiqul Islam, The Honorable Mayor of DNCC, attended as the chief guest of the program.
In the presence of Khwaja Shahriar, Managing Director & CEO of LankaBangla Finance PLC., Mr. Mostafa Kamal, FCA, Group Company Secretary, has signed the MoU on behalf of the Company. In addition to that, Maqsud Hashem, Chief Town Planner, DNCC; Ahsan Rony, Founder of Green Savers and Nasreen Akhter, President, Community Town Federation signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations.
Extending a warm welcome to people coming forward for tree plantation, The Honorable Mayor Md. Atiqul Islam expressed, “Historically, we’ve exploited forest land solely for personal gains, prioritizing profits without considering what we will leave behind for the next generation. Today marks a new beginning as we start to think afresh”. He also highlighted exploring new areas for planting trees while safeguarding the existing ones.
At the same time, he promised the current organizations that he would support them wholeheartedly. He assured the present organizations to continue their full cooperation. He also proclaimed, “If we don’t plant trees in a planned manner now, it will pose a serious threat to the environment soon. Future generations will also hold us responsible.” At this time, he emphasized the importance of planting more trees to combat climate change and prevent air pollution.
Furthermore, Mr. Khwaja Shahriar, Managing Director & CEO of LankaBangla Finance, stated, “We all want to see our beloved Dhaka city become more beautiful. Dhaka North City Corporation’s large-scale tree plantation program is beyond planting trees; if collective initiative is taken to protect and nurture the saplings, then it will fully play a significant role in the greening of Dhaka and restoring environmental balance in the near future.” He also expressed his unwavering commitment and enthusiastic support towards DNCC’s upcoming initiatives for the beautification and greenery of Dhaka city through tree plantation.
Besides, Md Salim Reza, Chief Executive Officer, Dhaka North City Corporation; Bushra Afreen, Chief Heat Officer, Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation; Ahsan Rony, Founder of Green Savers and Nasreen Akhter, President, Community Town Federation also spoke at the signing ceremony. In their speech, the issue of cooperation for the planned greening of the Dhaka city came up. Chief Heat Officer, Bushra Afreen said, “We have divided Dhaka city into multiple parts, in which men and 17,000 women are consistently working at a marginal level. Through community development and constructive training to create skilled workers, we are conducting these plantation programs and implementing them. We aim to make Dhaka an eco-friendly green city by nurturing it properly.”
Mohammad Nazmul Hasan Tipu, CFA, Chief Credit Risk Officer; Muhammad Habib Haider, General and Infrastructure Services Department Head; Md. Raziuddin, Head of Brand Marketing and Communications, from LankaBangla Finance PLC., along with Masud Alam Siddique, Dhaka North City Corporation Secretary; Brigadier General A.K.M Shafiqur Rahman, Chief Health Officer; Commodore SM Sharif-ul Islam, Chief Waste Management Officer; and Md. Maruf Hossain, UNDP Town Manager, and other senior officers from all the respective institutions were also present at the event.
