Editorial
Trees on DU campus
Take measures to save them
We are alarmed at the rate century old trees have been going down on the pristine campus of Dhaka University. After standing tall for decades they are being cut down to make room for some brick and mortar structures. In the past, powerful yet unscrupulous factions within the student parties sold off valuable trees from the campus. It was a shameful act that went unchallenged.
Now, in the latest move, the Jagannath Hall authorities have taken the decision to chop down some magnificent trees on the hall premises to construct a new residential quarter for the students. Reportedly, the blueprint has been finalized and the axe has been sharpened for the purpose. According to the members of frontline environment activist group Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), the intended residential quarter can still be constructed without destroying the trees. Obviously it would need some changes in the original plan. We are happy to learn that BAPA has further assured that the Institute of Architects Bangladesh would come forward with required technical support in this regard. So, we believe, the ball is now in the court of the Jagannath Hall authorities.
Dhaka University is known and admired for its green ambience and cool environment because of the large trees spread across the sprawling campus. In fact, it is the lofty trees that give Dhaka University the needed campus look. We must not also forget that those trees are a safe haven for birds of many different species. Therefore, our question is, what good will remain of Dhaka University campus if one by one the beautiful trees are chopped down for the sake of constructing buildings?
We sincerely urge the Jagannath Hall authorities to take the opinion of the architects, students, teachers and environment activists pertaining to changing the building plan so that the trees can be saved. If trees are felled indiscriminately, one day we shall only have buildings to look at. All the trees and all the birds will be gone by then.
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