Participatory forestry started in Bangladesh in 1981 which was implemented in the north and north-western part of the country covering 23 districts. Subsequently, two more participatory forestry projects were carried out, after which the government implemented a follow-up project known as extended social forestry for two years. Different approaches were employed in the social forestry program in the last three decades. This project aims to investigate and analyze these approaches and identify the best approach for providing input to policy- and decision-making for sustainable development.