A rare garden of botanical marvels in Jamalpur

Rokto Chandan, Ashoka, Toona, Hijal or Tomal — imagine a garden where all of these unique and rare native plant species live, breath, and flourish. Now stop imagining, because it really exists!
In times when news of these green giants losing their habitat to infrastructural development is a regular fixture, Md Hasmot Ali’s exquisite reserve in the suburbs of Daulatpur in Jamalpur’s Sarishabari upazila seems like nothing short of a dream.
Growing up surrounded by lush greenery, Hasmot, a lecturer at the Bangla department of Alhaj Farhad Ali Memorial Degree College in Sirajganj’s Kazipur upazila, always loved trees. He planted seedlings at every nook of the front yard of his house. As he grew, his passion, fuelled by eminent Bangladeshi naturalist Prof Dwijen Sharma’s books, amplified.
“Prof Sharma beautifully presented the part plants play in our lives. He is my idol. So, I decided to dedicate my garden to him,” said Hasmot.
Stretching across four acres of land, the Dwijen Sharma Garden, opened to visitors in 2020, treasures over six hundred rare trees. Hasmot says that while this personal sanctuary is home to a hundred rare species of local and foreign fruits and around 150 species of flowers, it is also home to over 150 rare plants that are on the verge of extinction.
Among the rare species are: Kanaidinga or Indian trumpet (Oroxylum indicum), Boilam (Anisoptera scaphula), Uriam or bishop wood (Bischofia javanica), Kurchi or indrajao (Holarrhena pubescens), Kaneir or yellow oleander (Cascabela thevetia), Chaulmoogra (Hydnocarpus wightianus), Bashpata or brown pine (Podocarpus elatus), Tasbih or Indian shot (Canna indica), Raktan (Lophopetalum wightianum), Reetha or Indian soapberry (Sapindus mukorossi), Nagalingam or cannonball (Couroupita guianensis), Baobab (Adansonia sp.), Korpur or Camphor (Dryobalanops sp.), Udal or elephant rope (Sterculia villosa), Kumbhi or wild guava (Careya arborea), Tanpura or calabash (Lagenaria siceraria), Chapalish or bread fruit (Artocarpus chama), and Haldu or yellow teak (Haldina cordifolia), among numerous others.
This eco reserve, established on Hasmot’s ancestral property, was build with an expenditure of Tk 25 lakh in phases. It also boasts around 20 species each of bamboo and mangroves and 50 types of orchids and cacti, alongside many small local fauna varieties.
The garden, which is maintained only by Hasmot and his family, requires special care because many rare varieties require it. Aiming to be better equipped at collecting, germinating, and nurturing rare plant varieties, Hasmot went on to pursue training at the Bangladesh National Herbarium last year.
Alongside preserving trees, Hasmot, with help and guidance from Prof Manowar Hossain, a butterfly expert currently teaching at Jahangirnagar University, also works to rear and conserve butterflies and has built a sanctuary for them.
Upon entering this 60-by-40 foot reserved area, this correspondent saw at least 30 different types of butterflies, relishing on freshly blossomed Rangan, Musenda, Nayantara, Madhobilata, Kamini, Cosmos, Lajjavati, and Kadam flowers.
“Butterflies are amazing pollinators and significantly contribute to maintaining the ecological balance. They are my comrades, working round the clock to restore the bond between nature and humans,” shared Hasmot, who received the noteworthy Butterfly Award for this initiative last year.
Hasmot was also honoured with the prestigious National Award last year for his outstanding contribution to restoring the world’s ecological balance and raising awareness among young minds in this regard.
“Tree lovers from different parts of the country visit my garden to enjoy nature. I find my life purposeful when they call this place heavenly,” he mentioned.
Leading the way forward for his children, Hasmot now looks to expand his reserve in years to come.
“I love living here — gardening and spending time with the animals. They are like my family. My friends love to visit our house too, as they find it beautiful and peaceful,” said his 16-year-old daughter, Niladri Nuzhat.
Lauding Hasmot’s initiative, Anup Singh, agricultural officer of the upazila, promised to stand by him in his future endeavours.
“I hope Hasmot inspires others, especially the younger generation, as humans will go extinct if nature is not conserved,” he added.