The last words spoken about flowers are those Satyendranath Dutta immortalised in one of his poems, "Jote jodi mote ekti poisa/ khadya kinio khudhar lagi/ duti jodi jote ardheke tar/ ful kine neo, hey anuragi...". Here he urges one to purchase food if there is just one poisa available but if the proceeds are two, he implores for sparing one for flower. The poet elaborates that food satisfies appetite of the body but flowers serves as ambrosia for the starving soul.
Romanticism seems to be at its most resplendent and yet not quite devoid of the commercial consideration because one has been encouraged to pay a price for flowers not in the same measure as in case of food but it has been the next best choice. The month of February or Falgun on the Bangla calendar is specially earmarked for celebration of flower. What a coincidence it is this year with the Pahela Falgun, the Saraswati Puja (worship of the goddess of knowledge and wisdom) and the Valentine's Day finding a meeting point together. All three events are incomplete without flowers, in fact profuse use of those.
Why do flowers take the centre stage in the observance of social, cultural, religious and commemorative events? Flowers are a unique gift of Nature to humanity. Sublime beauty of aesthetic craftsmanship, they illuminate human soul with boundless joy. Jalaluddin Rumi, a 13th century great Persian Sufi poet from greater Khorasan in his poem, "Unfolding the Rose" calls rose 'a flower of God's design'. He proceeds to say that the secret of unfolding flowers is not known to man. Unfolding the petals of flowers is beyond man's capacity. 'God opens this flower so sweetly/ When in my hands they fade and die', he laments. Then comes the philosophical climax of the poem where Rumi admits, 'If I cannot unfold a rosebud/ This flower of God's design/ Then how can I think I have wisdom/ To unfold this life of mine?'
Enlightenment of the highest order of spiritualism! Well, not all people are like Rumi with such a deep insight. But most people's hearts dance at the sight of flowers like Wordsworth's did when he beheld the daffodils tossing their heads in gentle breeze. Many complain the generation Z's hearts with the reputation of getting immersed in the make-believe virtual world may not move by the sight of a host of flowers. On this score, February presents an opportunity for the urbanites to renew their inalienable bond with Nature's precious gifts in the form of flowers of exquisite shape, colour and scent – both local and exotic.
The residents of the capital were not famous for their love of flowers. It was a ruler from the cantonment who, contrary to his profession, took the first decisive step to make flowers popular among the city people. The tentative flower business that began with his patronage has now turned into a Tk15-billion economy allowing some farmers to rely solely on flower cultivation in certain areas and encouraging many to opt for taking the trade as a full time occupation. Jashore's Gadkhali, Kaliganj and Jhenaidah have earned a reputation for flower growing hubs of the country. In the three days prior to the Pahela Falgun and Valentine's Day, flowers worth Tk 50 million were reportedly sold from Gadkhali alone.
Popularity of flowers among the people,however, does not always serve as a barometer of love for flowers. At times it is an indication of a mania, a craze that is contagious with the economy marking a handsome growth. That the flower growers suffered losses during the pandemic and in the past three years is because of the recessionary trend of the economy. Even Satyendranath's sermon is bound to fall on deaf ears when people in their droves are compelled to stand in long queues for subsidised commodities from TCB (Trading Corporation of Bangladesh) trucks.
Due to slump in flower business, some of the flower cultivators in the growing hubs had to shift to cultivation of other crops but then some young entrepreneurs also took the challenge of reviving the trade. It seems they are successful in their mission. This year, the prices of flowers are quite high to their liking. Demand for flowers, unlike in Kolkata where it is an everyday affair, is festival-centric in Dhaka and other urban centres. According to a report one fifth of flower trade takes place on the occasion of different festivals. After the three coincidental occasions on Wednesday last, there will be the observance of the International Mother Language Day celebration on February 21. The demand for flower on that occasion will soar as well. All in all, flower business in this month is likely to make up flower growers' past losses to a large extent.
Then comes the prospect of flower export. The Netherlands earns over €250 million from export of tulip bulbs annually. Farmers in Bangladesh have demonstrated their expertise to grow a variety of flowers including tulip. Here is an area of cultivation for earning foreign exchange. In this context, the government decision to set up a national quarantine authority, a prerequisite for compliance with the World Trade Organisation's Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement will be of tremendous help. However, advanced system of packaging, cooling facility in transports will have to be put in place. Overall, a comprehensive policy on cultivation and export of flowers can complement the government's fresh drive for sending more agricultural commodities abroad.
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