Ohid Sarder pries a rusted nail from a tree and drops it into his bucket, another eyesore scrubbed from the countryside as he embarks on a one-man mission to clean up Bangladesh. The 53-year-old self-professed tree hugger has been riding his bicycle across the country, in a grassroots effort to free trees of the billboards and clutter nailed to their trunks. Trees in Bangladesh are often used as free advertising space, with every available inch of wood plastered with placards until the trunk is barely visible. Inspired, Sarder began planting trees in Jhenaidah, his home district, and neighboring Jessore, a passion he kept up for decades. Experts say trees, by soaking up water and reducing soil erosion, can help mitigate the devastation brought by yearly deluges.

Source: Egypt Independent December 13, 2018 14:48 UTC