Gaher Ali, born in 1902, is a remarkable individual who dedicated his life to environmental stewardship. He planted 25,000 palm saplings along both sides of a two-kilometer stretch of road from Bolihar Bridge to Khord Narayanpur Bridge on the Rajshahi-Naogaon highway in Mahadevpur Upazila. For his extraordinary efforts, he was honored with the National Environment Medal in 2009.
Birth and Family
Gaher Ali was born in 1902 and lived in Shikarpur village, Mahadevpur Upazila, Naogaon district. He is a father of two sons and two daughters.
Life and Work
Gaher was a farmer, but he didn’t own any land of his own. His life got really tough when he was diagnosed with an incurable disease. He had to stop farming and start begging to survive.
But Gaher didn’t let his difficult circumstances hold him back. Instead of giving up, he found a new way to make a positive impact. The Rajshahi-Naogaon highway roads were stark and offered no shade from the relentless sun. Travelers had to face the heat with no relief. Seeing this, Gaher Ali felt moved to help. While he was out collecting alms, he began collecting palm stones from the houses he visited. With these stones, he started planting palm trees along the Naogaon-Rajshahi road and the roads connecting Shikarpur, Balihar, and Khanjanpur villages.
From 1950 to 2010, Gaher planted an astounding 25,000 palm trees! Despite facing his own challenges, he nurtured these trees as if they were his own children. He didn’t seek any attention or praise—he simply wanted to make the world a greener place, quietly and selflessly.
Awards and Recognition
To honor his lifelong dedication to planting trees, Gaher Ali was given a cheque for 200,000 Taka by the popular TV show Ityadi. This gesture was meant to ease his financial burdens and allow him to continue his work without having to beg. Following this special recognition, Gaher Ali was awarded the inaugural National Environment Award for Environmental Preservation on June 5, 2009, at the Osmani Auditorium in Dhaka. At that moment, he was 107 years old.
During this time, the Ityadi team also visited Gaher Ali at home. Because of his age and reliance on a walking stick, he couldn’t walk the distance to see the trees he had lovingly planted. So, his son brought him to his beloved “palm empire” in a rickshaw van. With the money from Ityadi, Gaher Ali planted some fruit trees as well, and he would often use the rickshaw to check on them. On the set of Ityadi, in reply to a question from the anchor Hanif Sanket, Gaher Ali said, “His wish is to die in peace”.
Gaher Ali passed away on December 27, 2010, at the age of 108. Because of his tremendous work, the people of our country still remember him with honor.