To mark the 45th death anniversary of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, the Ziaur Rahman Foundation (ZRF) has launched a month-long tree plantation campaign along with the “Future Scientists Hunt Science Fair 2026.”

The initiatives were inaugurated on Wednesday morning at Curzon Hall premises of the University of Dhaka by Dr Zubaida Rahman, Vice President of ZRF and a noted cardiologist. She planted a neem sapling to formally open the plantation programme. Later, she inaugurated the science fair at the Central Gallery of the university’s Department of Botany.

The event was chaired by Professor Dr. Morshed Hasan Khan, Acting Executive Director of ZRF, and conducted by Professor Lutfor Rahman, Chairman of the committee formed for the death anniversary observance.

Among others who spoke as guests were former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A F M Yusuf Haider, current Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A B M Obaidul Islam, ZRF Director Dr. Mostafa Aziz Suman, and agricultural expert Boyjar Rahman.

Also present were Dhaka University Pro-Vice-Chancellors Professor Dr. Abdus Salam and Professor Dr. Al Mozaddedi Alfee Sani, along with ZRF Director Dr. Shah Muhammad Aman Ullah, Professor Dr. Abu Hasnat Mohammad Shamim, agricultural expert Shafiul Alam Didar, Amirul Islam Kagji, deans of various faculties, department chairpersons, teachers, and students.

As part of the central programme, the tree plantation campaign was also inaugurated simultaneously at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University and Sylhet Agricultural University.

In her speech as chief guest, Dr. Zubaida Rahman paid deep tribute to Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia at the beginning of her address. She said tree plantation contributes to environmental protection, provides shade, and helps create a livable and sustainable world.

She emphasized that teachers and students can play a vital role in finding scientific solutions to national problems. Expressing optimism, she said that future generations can transform villages and cities into greener, cleaner, and more beautiful spaces.

She described tree plantation not merely as a routine programme but as a potential “green revolution” driven by public participation, contributing to economic, social, and generational development. She also proposed initiatives such as green voluntarism, climate youth fellowships, environmental volunteering programmes, and funding for eco-based startups.

Highlighting the importance of environmental awareness among students, she stressed including green volunteering in school curricula and encouraged participation in the “Future Scientists Hunt” competition for students and teachers.

She further noted that scientific innovation in fields such as medicine, botany, physics, chemistry, and information technology can help solve various national challenges. She added that innovation and healthy competition can ease human suffering and pave the way for a more developed Bangladesh.

She concluded by extending gratitude to all those involved in organizing the event and wished for its overall success.