Denmark Ambassador to Bangladesh visits tulip garden in Tetulia
Denmark Ambassador to Bangladesh H.E. Winnie Estrup Petersen visited a tulip garden at Tetulia in Panchagarh on 13 February 2023. Twenty flower growers of Dorjipara village welcomed the Ambassador with tulip flowers. IFAD Country Director of Bangladesh Arnoud Hameleers, PKSF Senior General Manager and Project Coordinator of RMTP Dr Akond Md Rafiqul Islam, ESDO Executive Director Dr Md Shahid Uz Zaman, and Tetulia Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sohag Chandra Saha accompanied Ambassador Petersen during the visit.
Ambassador Petersen said, “I am delighted to see the tulip cultivation in Bangladesh. These kinds of flowers usually grow in countries with cold climates. I appreciated the farmers and the initiators for growing tulip in this remote area of Bangladesh. I hope that in the future they will expand the tulip cultivation and make it a profitable venture.”
Ambassador Petersen was delighted to learn that a tulip variety was named as Denmark Variety. She highly commended the efforts of the tulip growers, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), and the latter’s Partner Organization Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) through which a sub-project titled ‘Assess the feasibility of expanding tulip cultivation in the northern part of the country’ is being implemented.
IFAD Country Director Arnoud Hameleers spoke with the female flower growers. “I am amazed to see the tulip here in Dorjipara. I feel as if I am in my own home,” said the Dutch-born development leader.
“Tulip can be a special flower for special day celebrations in Bangladesh. Tulip can strengthen the bond between Netherlands and Bangladesh friendship,” he added.
On 11 January 2023, the 20 farmers collectively sowed 1,00,000 tulip bulbs for cultivation on two acres of land. Last year, eight female farmers were engaged in tulip cultivation and they used 40,000 bulbs on 40 decimals of land in three separate places.
This season, the farmers planted 10 tulip varieties – Antarctica (white), Denmark (orange), Lalibela (red), Dutch Sunrise (yellow), Strong Gold (yellow), Zantupink (pink), White Marvel (white), Mystic van Eijk (pink), Happy Generation (white-red), and Golden Ticket (yellow).
Bengali media report on this event: https://cutt.ly/d3R7fj3
