Bangladesh plants Chinese Bonsai for capital beautification

DHAKA, Aug. 6 (NsNewsWire)– Rows of Chinese bonsai trees planted recently along a major road in Bangladesh capital Dhaka now have produced greenish new leaves, giving the city an exquisite look, reports Xinhua.

The major Dhaka road just outside the country’s main Hazrat Shahjala Airport got a huge facelift with the plantation of the trees and other development works along sidewalk ways recently.

The bonsai Ficus trees adorn the Airport road, one of the city’s busiest roads. Thousands of people passing along enjoy this beautification, as bonsai is considered something exquisite in the country, where people only saw small bonsais.

Bangladesh has procured the bonsai Ficus trees from China under a multi-billion taka beautification project, which also includes children’s playing zones and car parks.

Apart from these, there are modern waiting zones as well as service booths, which provide wi-fi services, free drinking water, public toilets and ATM booths. There are also vending machines for drinks and snacks, free mobile charging stations, money exchange booths, nursing corners for new mothers, police boxes and automated cash recharge points for mobile phones.

College student Nadia said she has never seen this kind of bonsai before.

“It feels great. They have nicely adapted to the place,” she said.

Jalal Uddin Ahmed, an engineer of the project, said they have planted 100 bonsai trees.

“We’re quite amazed to know about the history of bonsai.”

Bonzai, meaning tray planting, is a Japanese art form using trees grown in containers which originated from China as early as four thousand years ago.

These bonsais are imported from China, Ahmed said, adding “they are very much appreciated in our country.”

Private firm Vinyl World Group under the supervision of Bangladesh’s Roads and Highways Department planted the trees.

A modernization project aimed at upgrading the Dhaka airport was launched in February this year.

Monuments have been installed depicting Bangladesh’s historical events of the country. There are also spaces for shrubberies at many points of the road to showcase the country’s achievements to foreigner visitors.