Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka Archdiocese Church leaders in Bangladesh have launched a campaign to plant 400,000 trees across the country to mark the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato Si’, the golden jubilee of the country’s independence and the birth centenary of the nation’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Bishops led by Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka Archdiocese inaugurated the program at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB) centre in the capital on August 14 in the presence of a limited number of clergy, religious and lay representatives due to government-mandated Covid-19 health regulations.
The prelates planted three fruit saplings at the CBCB premises and called on Catholics in eight dioceses and parishes to follow suit within two years.
“We love the nation and we hold the father of the nation in high respect.
“Every Catholic in the country needs to plant a tree to express love for the country and honour for our founding leader.
“We will mostly plant fruit trees, but also trees that can produce wood in the future,” Cardinal D’Rozario, head of the committee, said in his speech.