PM presents national awards for environment, wildlife conservation and tree plantation

Highlights:

• 3 individuals and 3 organisations receive the National Environment Award 2025.
• 3 individuals and 2 organisations win the National Wildlife Conservation Award 2026.
• 21 individuals and organisations honoured with the National Tree Plantation Award 2025.
• Top 10 social forestry beneficiaries receive profit-sharing cheques.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today (9 July) presented national awards to individuals and organisations in recognition of their outstanding contributions to environmental protection, wildlife conservation, tree plantation and research and innovation, while also distributing profit-sharing cheques to beneficiaries of the social forestry programme.

The awards were handed over at the inauguration of the World Environment Day and Environment Fair and the National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka.

National Environment Award

Three individuals and three organisations received the National Environment Award 2025 for their contributions to environmental conservation, public awareness, education and research.

Among the individual recipients, Assistant Professor Md Hasmat Ali of Alhaj Farhad Ali Memorial Degree College was honoured for his work in environmental conservation and pollution control. Md Monir Hossain received the award for promoting environmental education and awareness, while Prof Dr Abdus Salam, pro-vice chancellor and professor of chemistry at the University of Dhaka, was recognised for research and technological innovation in environmental protection.

In the institutional category, Classical Handmade Products BD Ltd received the award for environmental conservation and pollution control, the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, was honoured for environmental education, and the Bangladesh Jute Research Institute was recognised for environmental research and innovation.

National Wildlife Conservation Award

Three individuals and two organisations were honoured with the National Wildlife Conservation Award 2026 for their contributions to wildlife protection, research, education and combating wildlife crime.

Wildlife photographer and conservationist Faisal Bin Azad (Adnan Azad) received the award in the individual conservation category, while Prof Dr Sajeda Begum of Jahangirnagar University’s Department of Zoology was recognised for wildlife education and research.

Among organisations, Nature Conservation Management (NACOM) was honoured for wildlife conservation, while the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University received the award for wildlife education and research. The Wildlife Crime Control Unit (WCCU) of the Forest Department also received special recognition.

Each wildlife conservation award included a certificate, a Tk1,00,000 cheque and cash equivalent to the market value of two bhori of gold.

National Tree Plantation Awards

A total of 21 individuals and organisations received the National Tree Plantation Award 2025 across seven categories for their contributions to tree plantation, conservation, nursery development, research and greening initiatives.

First-prize winners received Tk1,00,000, second-place recipients Tk75,000 and third-place winners Tk50,000, along with certificates and crests.

Among the notable winners, Textile Institute, Natore secured first place in the educational institution category, while Korean EPZ (KEPZ), Chattogram, topped the institutions and organisations category.

In the individual category, Md Shafiqul Islam won first prize for tree plantation, while Begum Nilufa Yasmin of Faisal Nursery was recognised as the best privately owned nursery.

Environmental conservationist Mahfuz Ahmed Russell was among those honoured for tree-related research and conservation. His privately developed Pitachhara Forest was recognised as a successful community-based conservation model, integrating forest restoration, wildlife protection, education, healthcare and research.

Social forestry beneficiaries receive profit-sharing cheques

The prime minister also distributed profit-sharing cheques among the top 10 beneficiaries of the government’s social forestry programme.

Among the recipients, Amena Begum received the highest amount of Tk7,33,320, followed by Rahena Khatun with Tk5,10,975, while several others received between Tk3,31,470 and Tk4,97,250 under the programme.