55 Kodomtola: Greening the Gulshan Lakeside

It was one of the chilliest mornings in Dhaka, or so it felt like. The wind cut through my jacket as I tried to warm my fingers inside its pockets.  

The treetops near the Gulshan lake were concealed by a thin veil of mist although my watch showed it was almost 9 am. The sun was still sleeping, as were the residents of Road 55 in Gulshan-2.

This road has a dead end where a kodom (burflower) tree stands tall; after this begins a narrow walkway surrounding the lake. Right below the tree, on the slope that leads to the water, two men were working. Wearing gloves, they were picking off dead leaves and other trash strewn around. 

One of them had particularly soiled boots for he was also scooping water into a red plastic bucket and splashing the plants around him with it. He is Mahmud Rahman, a veteran photojournalist and the man who began the '55 Kodomtola: Greening the Gulshan Lakeside' initiative in 2020. 

When he is not travelling overseas, every morning starting from 6:30, he trims the bushes, plants new seedlings, waters the plants and does many more things like an expert gardener for roughly three hours. He invites volunteers through Facebook posts and is happy with whoever can join him.  

With the help of volunteers, 50 to 60 different kinds of plants and herbs have been planted around the one-kilometre area of the Gulshan-2 lakeside starting from Road 55, near his house. Patches of dirt and trash have been gradually replaced with patches of green. 

Instead of plastic bottles and empty packets of chips, yellow candle bush and red hibiscus flowers are lightening up the lakeside. Bamboo fences have been erected to protect the plants although it is a constant challenge to make sure no one breaks them. 

With the help of ActionAid Bangladesh, two green patches have been worked on near their offices in Gulshan-1. Volunteers from the organisation often help Mahmud out. 

Migratory birds often visit the green patches near the kodom tree. Pointing at a grey and brown bird with a black mask over its eyes, Golam Monowar Kamal, a retired UN official who was volunteering with Mahmud that day, said, "This is a Shrike, it flew here all the way from Mongolia." 

"Let us hope the children from Korail do not try to kill it with a slingshot!" Mahmud exclaimed. Children (rather teenagers), both rich and poor, often pose a threat to the plants. 

The dead end at Road 55 is a favourite spot for young drivers to speed-drive their expensive cars. One of them almost crashed into the lake one day. Sometimes, love-struck couples in cars come here too, dirtying the place afterwards with used contraceptives. 

Photo: Rajib Dhar

What is Mahmud's weapon in stopping these vehicles from being parked here? Brick pieces he has picked up from the streets and arranged on the ground and his trusty lens stationed in his verandah. His ultimate threat is taking their photos, which works most of the time. 

'We can't expect the authority to do everything for us'

While Mahmud finished up, Monowar offered to show me around the lakeside. As we walked, a small flock of parrots flew overhead, a rare sight in many residential areas in Dhaka. 

He pointed at the kolaboti (Indian shot) plants with red-orange flowers growing on the slope. "These are the easiest to maintain. We also have this wrong idea that plants require a lot of fertiliser etc but it is not true." 

He said he is also the 'lemongrass man' as almost all the lemongrass at the lakeside were planted by him. We spotted some pepper vines and rosella plants. A neem tree was growing healthily in one corner. 

I may have seen a golden shower tree as well. A krishnachura (flame tree) was there as well, waiting to bloom in Spring.  

We spotted quite a few dog walkers and dog excrement. Many walkers simply choose to ignore cleaning up after the animals are done relieving themselves. 

Gulshan-2 is perhaps one of the most expensive residential areas in the city with many apartments selling for exorbitantly high prices for having a 'lake view.' Yet owners and tenants alike seem to care little about the gardens on the lakeside.  

Loud construction noise made it difficult for me to follow what Monowar was saying. I wondered if it bothered us so much, how much it would bother, or even completely drive away, birds like the Shrike that these two men were so excited about. 

Monowar's love for greenery is profound. In fact, he worked with nature for a long time, especially in forests in other countries. "Gardening was always my hobby and now, after retirement, I have all the time for it." 

He grows trees on his rooftop and plans to do more in future. He is not against people tearing off a few leaves or flowers for their own use. "If they take neem leaves, that will be beneficial for them. Rosella tea is also good for health."  

It seems that Mahmud and his existing team of nearly 25 volunteers are not trying to make any grand or drastic changes overnight; they are taking their time and looking forward to gradual changes.  

The patches that they work on are not as organised or decorative as the ones looked after by the Gulshan Society. But that is how they like it. When needed, Gulshan Society also lends them a helping hand.  

"Most of us [volunteers] are art lovers, everybody wants to create their own space. The idea is that of an open society. We want the community to come forward; we can't expect the authority to do everything for us. Those who don't cooperate, they don't, what can we do about them?"  

During our walk, a Gulshan Society truck with a few workers was cleaning fallen leaves etc. They greeted Monowar, promising to give him some seedlings for the patches. Such cooperation was pleasant to witness.  

From politicians to gardeners, many people help out

While many simply ignore Mahmud's call for help, many others willingly assist him. There are some foreigners too who come whenever they have time. 

"There is an Italian lady, Christiana, who will come here every time she walks her dog. She carries her gloves with her and simply starts working," said Mahmud. 

His list of helpers also includes professional gardeners like Abdus Sobhan who has been working for almost 35 years as well as high-profile residents like MPs who promise to help in whichever way they can. 

Mahmud Rahman does not believe in getting angry if, say, someone breaks a fence or destroys a plant. There have been times when he laboured over a patch throughout the morning and by night a truck ran over it and destroyed all the plants. But he did not stop working. 

Photo: Rajib Dhar

"When you are older, you realise how futile it is to get angry. We don't fight with people's behaviour, slowly the society will change." 

Mahmud is relentless in trying to save the lakeside. He sometimes arranges for picnics and small events at the kodomtola (meaning under the kodom tree). "I ask people to bring in their guitars, sing songs, and create some good moments. Won't it be nice to sit near the lake and sip on some tea as you appreciate the beauty?"

As soon as our conversation ended, one man from the other side of the lake dumped an entire fire extinguisher into the lake. And I realised the kodomtola volunteers have a long way to go.