Samad, the tree planter

When rickshaw puller Abdul Samad Sheikh cannot sleep one night, it is because he couldn't plant a tree that day. Strange as it may sound, this person, hailing from Vagondanga village in Faridupur sadar upazila's Aliabad union has been planting a tree every day since he was 12 years old. Now aged 60, Samad puts those of us, who prefer to sit in our plush chairs in air-conditioned seminar halls and cry hoarse about deforestation, to shame. Here is a man who has planted and nurtured 17,532 trees in the last 48 years and is vocal against locals who do not bat an eyelid before cutting down a tree.

A humble man of humble origin, who earns a meagre amount as a rickshaw puller, his daily earning of Tk. 100 goes to pay for family

needs and purchasing a plant for his daily passion. It is not a wonder that his offspring look to his hobby as a noble one, especially in this day and age where powerful interests are busy clearing up the land of this natural resource, in the name of "development". People of the locality find Samad to be a man who is demure in his outlook but one who is always there to lend a helping hand to anyone who requires assistance.

We salute Samad and his singlehanded contribution to preserving nature. One man's hobby that turned into a passion spanning nearly half a century, let his efforts be an example to us all. While we can draw inspiration from his example, the authorities can use his selflessness to promote social forestry nationwide.