When the monsoon arrives, the landscape of Bengal comes alive. Overcast skies, the scent of wet earth, the patter of rain, and fields wrapped in green — the season is not merely a change in weather but a deeply felt experience. And no plants announce its arrival more vividly than kadamba, shapla, hijal, and koroch — the four quiet messengers of Bangladesh’s monsoon.
Kadamba: the rain-soaked symbol of romance
The kadamba is among the first to bloom as the monsoon begins. Its round, yellowish flowers are like small suns beneath an overcast sky. Standing along village paths, riverbanks, and beside old houses, kadamba trees evoke a deep nostalgia. The flower has a long presence in Bengali literature and music, intertwined with themes of love, longing, and the emotions of the rainy season.
Shapla: the face of aquatic Bengal
The shapla, or water lily, is Bangladesh’s national flower. During the monsoon, it floats across ponds, haors, and wetlands in white, pink, and red — a gentle expression of nature. Once, village children would wade into water to pick shapla, and its stalks were used in cooking. But as wetlands are filled and pollution spreads, the flower has become scarcer. The shapla is now not just a flower but a symbol of a disappearing aquatic heritage.
Hijal: the silent sentinel of the wetlands
No tree is more closely associated with the haor-beel regions than the hijal. Standing in water during the monsoon, it resembles a poem in silence. Birds shelter in its branches while aquatic life cycles play out beneath. The hijal plays a critical role in wetland ecology, yet urbanization, unplanned embankments, and wetland destruction are reducing its numbers.
Koroch: the green companion of the riverbank
The koroch tree is found along rivers, beels, and wetland areas. Its white flowers and green leaves lend the monsoon landscape a distinctive beauty, and the tree plays an important role in preventing soil erosion. But river erosion, deforestation, and environmental change now threaten it as well.
These four messengers of the monsoon are not merely elements of natural beauty — they are woven into the culture, memory, and identity of Bengal. In an era of environmental destruction, protecting them means protecting a part of who we are.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report