A huge banyan tree, with touches of sky-blue and white everywhere from its trunk to its branches. Seen from a distance, it looks as if nature has dressed itself in the familiar colors of Argentina’s flag, as if the Argentine flag itself is reaching for the sky to greet the fans.
Argentina supporters have taken this unusual initiative on a Jamuna char to the east of the Ajgara-Jamtail ferry ghat, on the edge of Daulatpur union in Belkuchi upazila of Sirajganj. Nineteen people of various ages, young and old, painted the banyan tree over about two weeks, using around Tk 10,000 worth of paint bought with contributions from local people.
The banyan tree is now viral on social media. Football lovers and visitors flock daily from far and wide to see it; some take selfies, others come with their families.
A field visit showed that the more-than-two-and-a-half-decades-old banyan tree, which had until now given shade to weary travelers on the Jamuna char, has now come to be known as the “Argentina banyan tree.” Decorated in blue and white, the tree stands at a crossroads, seeming to welcome supporters. The flags of Bangladesh and Argentina fly above it, while below, at a tea shop, supporters enjoy the matches on a big screen.
Locals said people gathered here from various char areas to enjoy the World Cup matches, with a festive atmosphere created especially when Argentina played, complete with cooked food, a sound system and lighting, all arranged with contributions collected by local people.
A local Argentina supporter, Asadul Islam, said the banyan tree had been painted blue and white for the second time. “This unusual initiative of ours is to express our love for our favorite team, Argentina, and to make football star Lionel Messi’s farewell World Cup memorable,” he said. He added that the frenzy of football had now spread even to the Jamuna char, where people gathered in the evening after a day’s work.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report