In Bangladesh bamboos are the most important forest
produce and have become an integral part of the life of most
people. Five species of bamboos occur in the forests of Bangladesh.
The most important is Melocanna bambusoides. Other species such
as Bambusa tulda, Dendrocalamus longispathus, Neohauzeaua dullooa
and Oxytenanthera nigrociliata occur sporadically in gregarious
areas of Melocanna bambusoides. The stocking varies from extensive
areas of pure bamboo to scattered undergrowth in predominantly
timber producing areas. In order to meet the increasing demand of
bamboo, for both commercial and industrial purposes, all accessible
areas have been overfelled and the obvious result has been their
disappearence. Felling has now started in the less accessible
areas and it appears that these will meet the same fate. Replenishment
of stock has, therefore, attained a new dimension. All
cultivated species respond well to vegetative propagation but
the species found in forests are not amenable to any of the known
methods. Seed, therefore, remains the only method by which large
scale plantations of forest species can be undertaken.