Striking flower garden in abandoned railway areas in Rajshahi

General Manager (GM) of Bangladesh Railway (West) Asim Kumar Talukder has received much praise for his part in creating a striking flower garden in abandoned areas of Rajshahi Railway Station.

Several areas around the GM building, Engine Chattar, and Shaheed Minar were abandoned and in a dilapidated state even six months ago. However, the areas are now wearing a different look with blooming flowers all over.

GM’s personal security guard Dutta is in charge of the overall care of the garden. He said about five months ago under the GM’s instructions the abandoned areas were cleared and dumped with sand-loam soil before planting about 50 species of flower and fruit trees.

“GM sir travelled around Rajshahi and bought seedlings at a low cost. He has personally tended to the garden and taken care of the decorations too,” Dutta said adding that the flower plants started blooming within only two months.

According to railway sources, 4,000 flowers have been planted around the GM building area. Besides, 1,700 trees of Dahlia, Marigold, Dianthus, Petunia, Zinnia and Gladiolus flowers were planted in the parking area of Rajshahi Railway Station.

A total of 50 species of trees have been planted at the railway station and GM building.

A graffiti on the wall of the GM building reads “Flowers satisfy the hunger of your heart, let them live.” There are also several signs that warn about not picking the flowers in the garden.

Gardener Masud, in charge of maintenance, said, “The GM has done everything necessary for the maintenance of the garden. He fixed the watering system and bought organic fertilisers for the plants.”

The Assistant General Manager Mehdi Hasan said, “Seeing the beautiful flower garden makes work pleasurable and takes away any fatigue. All credit for this initiative goes to the creative mindset of our GM.”

In this regard, GM Asim Kumar Talukder said, “I noticed how messy and dilapidated the area looked after taking charge and decided to change it. I took the initiative and built the garden at a very low cost.”

He added that a beautiful environment keeps peace of mind, and now many people come to enjoy the beautiful garden.

“I am an appreciator of natural beauty. Earlier during my tenure as Divisional Railway Manager in Pakshi, I planted about 700 species of flowers and fruit trees there,” he further said, adding that he hopes the gardens will fascinate everyone who visits.