DHAKA: When Azharul Islam Khan’s father gave him bougainvillea stems to grow, it marked his first experience tending to plants — a lesson that 40 years later would shape his social media fame in Bangladesh.
Khan was just 14 when his adventure with botany began. Unfamiliar with how to properly water the colorful ornamental vines, he lost two of the stems he tried to grow, but another two survived and blossomed.
“One was red, and the other was white. It was very inspiring when the two branches stayed alive, and I felt amazed,” Khan told Arab News at Zinda Park in Dhaka, surrounded by various tree and flower species, many of which have been featured in his online classes.
The classes are unlike traditional botany courses. Khan keeps his videos short and simple, focusing on the knowledge that he believes everyone should possess to understand plant life, know the basics of botanical medicine, and appreciate biodiversity.
His classroom is open to all, regardless of their academic background, and more than 1 million people have followed him on Facebook since he started regularly sharing his clips in 2023.
The videos often go viral and many have gained millions of views.
A pharmacist by training and profession, Khan also holds a degree in botany from the University of Dhaka.
“I like nature and plants and trees from my childhood. It’s my passion ... and I learned it from my father,” he said.
“When I see a plant, a flower, how it blooms, how it survives, it is amazing. When I walk and observe the flowers and plants growing, I feel pleased. And it is very important not only for me. It is very important for all the people ... Plants always support our wildlife. If wildlife remains alive, then us, humans, we will remain alive.”
In 2023, Bangladeshi researchers published a red list of plants, which showed that over the past few decades the country has lost seven flora species. Some 127 are currently endangered and 262 are considered vulnerable.
Khan believes that 30 of them are nearly extinct.
“If we don’t take special care of these species, within a very short time they will disappear in our country. So, we need to take care of these plants,” he said.
“We need indigenous plants ... local plants are very important for local nature.”
His videos spread awareness on the importance of various species for the entire ecosystem and for the individual lives of his students.
“I want to make them learn how to grow plants, how important it is for human life,” he said.
“I am trying to do this for the nation, for the future generations, for Bangladesh.”
The videos find appeal among his followers as they offer practical knowledge too.
“I watch brother Azhar’s videos regularly. The best part is that his videos are short — one and a half minutes, two minutes, or three minutes long. I like this style very much,” Mohammad Zakir Hossain, a shopkeeper from Narayanganj, told Arab News.
“Many plants grow all around us. But we have no idea about the benefits of these plants. I came to know about their medicinal values and their names. It’s a great gain for me.”
