A Green Revolution in Chattogram
In the coastal district of Chattogram, where urbanization and industry are expanding at a rapid pace, a quiet ecological experiment is taking place known as Project Sonapahar. This initiative is located in Mostannagar, Mirsharai, an area better known for factories, transport links and emerging industrial parks than for green landscapes. Against this backdrop of development pressure, Sonapahar stands out for attempting something both simple and ambitious: the creation of Bangladesh’s first privately managed Miyawaki forest. Though modest in physical size, its aspirations reach far into the future of biodiversity protection, environmental education and sustainable land stewardship.
The Birthplace and Purpose of Project Sonapahar
The project takes its name from South Sonapahar Station Road in Mostannagar, Zorarganj, Mirsharai, where it has established its forest and conservation site. Mirsharai is strategically important to Bangladesh, positioned close to Chattogram Port and designated as a hub for industrial expansion. This means the landscape is under intense pressure from infrastructure projects, steel plants, and economic zones. It is in this very setting that Project Sonapahar chose to invest in greening a parcel of private land, demonstrating that conservation need not be confined to remote sanctuaries but can flourish even in the shadow of heavy industry. Unlike government reforestation drives or NGO-led reserves, Sonapahar is framed as an independent project, making it a rare case where private initiative has taken on the challenge of ecological restoration in Bangladesh.
The Goals and Vision Behind the Forest
The project set out a set of intertwined objectives. At its heart is the goal of restoring native biodiversity. This is being pursued through the planting of a wide variety of indigenous tree and shrub species, selected to replicate the multilayered structure of a natural forest. The vision is not simply to grow trees but to recreate a functional ecosystem that can provide habitat for birds, pollinators and other local wildlife.
Environmental Education and Public Engagement
Alongside this ecological mission, Sonapahar also seeks to serve as a demonstration site for education and advocacy. By showing visitors how quickly a degraded plot can be transformed into a dense green canopy, the project hopes to inspire replication elsewhere. This educational dimension is reinforced by the project’s outreach through social media and local press which have documented its rapid growth and hosted discussions on the role of urban and peri-urban forests.
The Miyawaki Method: Fast-Track Reforestation
Central to Sonapahar’s success so far has been its adoption of the Miyawaki method, a reforestation technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. This method involves planting native species at very high density, carefully preparing the soil to encourage rapid growth and arranging the planting to mimic the layered structure of natural forests canopy, sub-canopy, shrubs and ground cover. The result is a “mini forest” that develops several times faster than conventional plantations, often reaching maturity within 20–30 years instead of the usual 100.
At Sonapahar, the method has proven transformative. Visitors have noted that within just a year of planting, the once bare land was covered by a dense, green thicket. Videos and photographs circulated online highlight the almost miraculous speed of this transformation with saplings shooting up to form a closed canopy in less than 13 months. For a country like Bangladesh where land is scarce and degradation is widespread, the Miyawaki method offers a rare promise — significant biodiversity gains on small, fragmented parcels of land.
Balancing Promise and Limitations
Of course, the method is not without its critics. Ecologists caution that while Miyawaki forests grow quickly and offer urban green cover, they cannot substitute for the ecological complexity of large and contiguous natural forests. Nor do they address broader landscape scale challenges such as watershed protection or wildlife corridors. Nonetheless, as a complement to larger conservation efforts, the method has proven its worth in cities and peri-urban spaces around the world, and Sonapahar is now demonstrating its potential in Bangladesh.
Ecological Benefits of Project Sonapahar
The ecological benefits of Sonapahar’s forest are multifaceted. At the most basic level, it has created new habitat for local wildlife from birds and butterflies to small mammals and insects. Early reports suggest that pollinators and birds have already begun to frequent the site, a sign that biodiversity is returning. Beyond habitat, the forest provides ecosystem services. Its dense vegetation helps moderate microclimates, offering cooler temperatures and shade in an otherwise heat-intensive industrial area. The trees trap dust and pollutants, a critical service given the nearby factories and construction sites. Their roots improve soil structure and enhance water infiltration, reducing surface runoff during monsoon rains. Although the overall carbon sequestration is modest due to the forest’s small scale, it nonetheless contributes to climate mitigation efforts at the local level.
Future Potential: Research, Community, and Education
The project opens up a host of opportunities. By documenting its progress and sharing planting data, Sonapahar could serve as a replicable model for other private landowners across Bangladesh. Partnerships with universities in Bangladesh or NGOs could transform it into a research and education hub, where students learn about native ecology, climate adaptation, and forest restoration. There is also scope for community engagement. If local residents are invited to participate in tree planting, maintenance, and monitoring, the forest could become a shared asset rather than a private experiment. Involving schools and youth groups would not only secure long term stewardship but also cultivate a new generation of environmental advocates.
Policy Implications and Urban Planning
At a policy level, Sonapahar’s recognition suggests that small, private conservation projects can complement national reforestation drives. If integrated into urban and industrial planning, Miyawaki forests could provide cooling zones, air quality buffers and biodiversity hotspots across Bangladesh’s rapidly expanding cities and towns.
National Recognition: The Dwijen Sharma Poribesh Padak
Project Sonapahar’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2024, it received the Dwijen Sharma Poribesh Padak, an award presented by BRAC Bank in collaboration with Tarupallab to honor contributions to biodiversity conservation and environmental education. Named after the late Dr. Dwijen Sharma, a celebrated Bangladeshi naturalist, the award signals that Sonapahar’s experiment is not only locally appreciated but nationally recognized as a meaningful contribution to environmental stewardship. This recognition has also given the project greater visibility. Visitors, including students and environmental enthusiasts, have toured the site, turning Sonapahar into a living classroom. For a private project, this level of recognition is rare and suggests that its model could be adopted elsewhere.
A Seed of Hope for a Greener Future
Project Sonapahar is more than just a patch of trees in Mirsharai. It is a statement of possibility that even in the midst of industrial sprawl, spaces for biodiversity and ecological resilience can be carved out. By adopting the Miyawaki method, it has shown that forests can grow quickly, that biodiversity can return and that people can be inspired by visible change in just a year. As climate change intensifies and urbanization accelerates, the need for innovative, locally rooted solutions will only grow. Project Sonapahar, with its dense canopy and growing reputation, offers one such solution, a seed of hope planted in the industrial heart of Chattogram with lessons for the entire nation.