A giant tamarind tree stands at the entrance to Mohishkhola village in Narail Sadar Upazila. It has withstood storms, natural disasters and the passage of nearly two centuries, still offering shade. For locals, the tree is a living witness to the memory, history and tradition of several generations. Yet without proper conservation, this centenarian now faces an uncertain future.

Local elders say the tree was planted before British rule, perhaps during the zamindar (landlord) era. The area was then a sprawling settlement with zamindar residences. Life and the village landscape have since transformed, but the tree has remained, a silent witness to history.

Its shade once hosted village arbitrations, social gatherings and community welfare events. Travellers from afar would rest there from the summer heat. The tree was a quiet companion to children’s play, youthful gatherings and the storytelling circles of the elderly.

Over the past decade, however, more than 500 such centenarian trees have been felled across Narail district under government and private initiatives, environmentalists and locals allege. They say the loss of these ancient trees — which lined roads, school grounds, public land, rural settlements and riverbanks — has put the ecological balance at risk. More than fifty trees of various species still survive as silent witnesses to history, but the forest department has mounted no visible effort to conserve them. Among these survivors are giant tamarind, mango, gab, hijal, pakur, banyan and several near-extinct species.

Environmental activists say the forest department does not know how many century-old trees exist in the district. The forest department has periodically issued notices to catalogue trees aged 50 or above, but the local forest office has consistently ignored them. No visible conservation work has followed.

Monir, a tree lover and wanderer from Mohishkhola in Narail, told Bonik Barta: “A century-old tree is not just a tree; it’s a piece of living history. Village arbitrations, social gatherings and various welfare events once took place under its shade. Many artists, poets and lyricists have sat beneath these trees and created their work.”

Century-old trees serve as invaluable environmental assets, absorbing vast quantities of carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen, moderating local temperatures, and sheltering countless birds, insects and small animals. Cutting one down causes harm that planting new saplings cannot swiftly undo.

The damage cannot be quickly reversed, says Keya Renu Roy, assistant professor and head of the botany department at Narail Government Victoria College. “It takes hundred years to grow a century-old tree but only a few hours to cut one down,” she told Bonik Barta. “These trees do more than produce oxygen; they are critical for biodiversity, temperature regulation and ecological balance, and they provide habitat for countless birds, animals and insects.”

Various sources indicate that more than fifty century-old trees still stand across the district. Several are at least 200 years old. Yet many have been lost. Md Shah Alam, president of BAPA Narail, told Bonik Barta that countless centenarian trees have been felled over the past decade. He blamed officials in various Narail departments. “Tree felling is severely damaging the environment,” he said, demanding that the surviving trees be inventoried and conserved immediately.

Experts say a lack of planning, neglect and the pressure of development projects are erasing this natural heritage. Unless the remaining trees are quickly identified and protected, Narail’s historic trees will be reduced to memories for future generations.

The forest department has no list of these trees. Kazi Ishtiaq Rahman, the newly appointed acting forest ranger at the Narail Social Forestry Nursery and Training Centre, acknowledged the gap. “I’ve just joined. There’s currently no inventory,” he said, adding that a plan exists to compile one swiftly and begin conservation.

Narail’s district commissioner, Dr Mohammad Abdul Salam, urged private tree owners to conserve them on their own initiative. “The district’s century-old trees will be conserved. Work will begin quickly,” he told Bonik Barta. “For now, we will build brickwork enclosures around three trees in Narail Sadar, Kalia and Lohagara upazilas to provide resting places for passers-by and locals.”