Hundreds of bird lovers from across the country including the capital enjoyed the bird fair held on the Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus on Friday, amid
unbounded enthusiasm and fun. Organised by JU Zoology Department, the fair was inaugurated by acting Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof Dr MA Matin on the premises
of Zahir Raihan Auditorium at about 9.30am. The inaugural session was addressed by Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forest Dr Aporup Chawdhury,
president of Bangladesh Bird Club Inam Al Haque and executive director of Aronnok Foundation Farid Uddin Ahmed. Chief forest conserver Dr Tapan Kumar De presented a
keynote paper. The function was also moderated by Prof Dr ATM Atikur Rahman while convener of the fair Prof Dr Mostafa Firoz and chairman of the JU Zoology Department
Prof Dr Shajeda Bagum addressed it among others. Speaking on the occasion, VC Prof MA Matin said due to indiscriminate clearing of forests and destruction of natural
environment, the country’s ecology is now under severe threat. He also urged all to be conscious about the conservation of the bio-diversity for the interest of human
existence. Convener Mostafa Feroz termed said the fair was aimed at raising awareness among people about birds and the bio-diversity of Bangladesh. The Zoology
Department of JU which has been organising the fair every year since 2001 has claimed the current year’s (which is fourteenth) to have been a successful one. Students
from various public and private universities, school children, teenagers and parents were seen watching birds in the university lakes throughout the day. To
facilitate bird watching and learning about character traits of different species of birds, several telescopes and binoculars were set up at different points on the
campus.
The day long fair includes inter-university bird identification competition, photo exhibition on birds, bird watching for children, painting competition, speech
competition on birds, prize awarding ceremony etc.
In addition, awards were also given to different stalls at the book fair along with an exhibition comprising of photographs of endangered bird species, journals and
stamps at the JU auditorium.
Professor Mustafa Feroz said JU has become a sanctuary for the feathered friends while 12-13 species of migratory birds including 28 local species usually visit the
campus every winter. They flock together with 100 other species that live in the bushes and lakes of JU, which proves JU to be a bird sanctuary, he added. This year,
the award named ‘Big Bird of the Year-2014’ was given for the first time.
On the other hand, seventh batch of the university held a daylong reunion programme here on the campus on Friday. Festivity was in the air as several hundred alumni
met their old friends after a long time, chatted and took photographs during the day long programme that began at 9:00am. Pro-VC Prof Afsar Ahmed who was a student of
the seventh batch attended the function and exchanged pleasantries with all.
-With The Independent input
