For my thematic report this month, I’ll be featuring a unique environmentalist from Bangladesh, a simple man with a true love for the nature, the late Gowhor Ali.

Gowhor Ali was from small village named Shikarpur, Naogaon district of Bangladesh. Gowhor Ali was a poor begger who used to beg on streets, no he was not born doing this. His land and properties were seized which he couldn’t get back in 11 years, so he had to resort to begging. Besides begging, he used to collect palm seeds from people’s homes. Carrying the seeds on a basket, he used to plant the seeds along the roadsides and take care of the saplings. Eventually the trees grew and covered both sides of the Naogaon district road. He planted over 18 thousand palm trees alone.

What made this poor man do this? The Naogaon highway did not have any trees, people used to have trouble finding any shade during the sunny and hot days. Seeing that inspired Gowhor to plant the trees. As he didn’t have money to buy seeds, he could only collect the palm seeds from the households he used to beg at. 

These trees are all planted by the late Gawhor Ali. Watch full video by Bangladesh Protidin  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JiYMpjam5I

A popular magazine variety show called "Ityadi" did a feature on Gowhor Ali and his incredible work in 2009 where he was also awarded 2 million BDT to help him stop begging on roads and continue on with his tree plantations. The same year on the occasion of World Environment Day, he was awarded the “Jatiyo Poribesh Podok 2009” (National Environment Medal 2009) by the government.  Unfortunately he did not live much long after receiving the award, on December 27, 2010, this hero of the “Palm Tree Empire” died at the age of 107.

Unfortunately, in 2017, newspapers reported that his living memories, the palm tree empire, would get chopped down due to road extensions. It was reported that around 30 thousand palm trees will be chopped down as the trees are planted beside government roads and not planted by the government. However remains of the trees are still visible, though the father of the “Palm Tree Empire” is no more there, visiting and taking care of the trees everyday. 

Such a simple attempt by such a simple poor man, yet the impact is so strong which is visibly defined by the trees planted by him. Even though he is not alive anymore, he still lives on with the trees. Gowhor Ali is a true example for everyone to learn that we don't need any financial or technical help if we want to help the environment, just start with a simple attempt, continue with it with passion and the impact will be stronger than we can imagine!

Information Sources:

'গহের আলীর তাল সাম্রাজ্যে’ পড়বে কুঠারের আঘাত. (2017, 8 7). Retrieved 3 19, 2020, from daily Prothom Alo : https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/article/1279981/

গহের আলীর তাল সাম্রাজ্য. (2015, 1 8). Retrieved 3 19, 2020, from bd-pratidin : https://www.bd-pratidin.com/various/2015/01/08/54697