Dhaka, June 11 -- The government aims to plant 70 million tree saplings over the next year as part of a broader plan to plant 250 million trees nationwide over the next five years, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said.

The target was announced on Thursday while presenting the national budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year in parliament.

In his budget speech, Khosru said the five-year afforestation initiative would create about 350,000 direct and indirect "green jobs" across the country.

Under the plan for fiscal year 2026-27, the government aims to plant: 42.89 million saplings in block plantations covering 25,960 hectares; 3.72 million saplings along 3,727 kilometres of strip plantations; 17.77 million saplings in mangr...