Nazmul Hasan Siyam, JU:
On the southwest side of the Botanical Garden, clusters of shimul flowers have burst into radiant red bloom. Their petals glow like scattered embers against the sky, visible even from distant walkways. Beneath them, students gather fallen blossoms while squirrels leap from branch to branch, adding movement to the tranquil scene.
“I came with my friends to collect shimul flowers,” says Borsha, a Journalism student, gently placing a petal behind her ear. “We’ll make garlands and decorate our room.” For many, spring here is something to carry home in photographs, in memories, in simple handmade wreaths.
Walking toward the eastern side of the Botanical Garden, palash trees stand in fiery splendour. Their orange-red blossoms line the paths, creating a canopy of colour. Just beyond, to the south of the garden, pink buds peek through layers of green- young shimul preparing to bloom.
Behind the Social Sciences building, hundreds of pink amrul flowers spread softly across the grass, forming a delicate carpet of colour. In front of the faculty and opposite Zahir Raihan Auditorium, kosmos, shimul and palash bloom side by side, turning the academic corridors into floral galleries.
Near Prantik Mosque, an udal tree glows with star-like blossoms in pale yellow and light orange. In the woods behind the old Registrar Building, clusters of tiny white shet rongon bloom quietly in shaded silence. Close to the new Arts Building, gamari flowers add subtle elegance to the pathways.
The TSC garden bursts with petunias in full bloom, while beside the Bachelor’s Quarters, rudra palash clusters catch the eye. Around the Medical Centre pond, Nagkeshar chaapa flowers open gently along the water’s edge. And in front of Al Beruni Hall, a bright garden of sunflowers stands tall, where parrots and small birds often pause in the golden afternoon light.
Professor Dr Amir Hossain Bhuiyan of Environmental Science notes that many of these trees were planted in planned rows to ensure seasonal variety, allowing the campus to remain colourful throughout the year.
Yet, amid the blossoms, there is reflection. Some trees and lakes have disappeared over time, replaced by new structures. “JU is still beautiful,” says alumnus Mohiudduin. “But once, there were more flowers, more lakes, more shade.”
For now, however, spring continues to reign petals drifting across quiet paths, colours lingering in the air, and Jahangirnagar standing as one of the country’s most enchanting campuses in bloom.
