CU to plant 25,000 trees across 25 acres this year

The Chittagong University (CU) administration has launched a programme to plant 25,000 saplings across 25 acres of land this year to combat climate change, conserve biodiversity and protect the campus’s ecological balance.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Al-Forkan inaugurated the programme at a hilly site beside the Faculty of Biological Sciences today (29 July).

The initiative is being jointly implemented by the university administration and the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (Cucsu), with support from the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences.

Addressing the event, the vice-chancellor said preserving the natural environment and biodiversity is a shared responsibility, noting that around 85% of the university’s 2,350-acre campus consists of hilly terrain.

“In the face of climate change, there is no alternative to tree plantation for protecting the environment,” he said.

Al-Forkan said tree plantation has already been completed on 11 acres, while work on another 14 acres in the Old Godown area will begin soon. A total of 25,000 saplings will be planted across 25 acres this year under the supervision of the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences.

He also said the university is implementing several infrastructure projects, including the construction of new residential halls to address the long-standing accommodation shortage for students.

The vice-chancellor added that environmental conservation would remain a priority alongside development, with the university aiming to maintain a balance between infrastructure expansion and ecological preservation.

Among those present at the programme were Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Dr Md Shafiqul Islam, Acting Registrar Md Hasan Mia, Proctor Professor Dr Hossain Shahid Sarwardy, Director of the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences Professor Dr Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain, Cucsu Vice-President Ibrahim Hossain Rony, General Secretary Sayeed Bin Habib, and teachers and officials from various departments.