Welcoming the guest birds

. PHOTO: STAR

Bird lovers yesterday welcomed a variety of migratory waterfowls through a festival amid a huge turnout at Ceramic Lake in Mirpur in the capital.

Four-year-old Barsha joined the festival along with her mother and elder brother to express her love for the species.

"I love birds. I've seen so many of them here today," she rejoiced.

"This is obviously an uncommon but wonderful programme. I've brought my children here so that they can learn about nature," said Tahmina Begum, her mother.

Like Tahmina, about 100 mothers took their kids to the lake to show them the winter waterfowls.

The festival aimed to welcome the birds was arranged by Bangladesh Waterfowl Census Committee (BWC), a non-government organisation.

Green campaigner Prof Serajul Islam Choudhury opened the festival. Describing it as a 'social festival', he said human-bird relation should be friendlier.

"Those who kill birds can also kill human," he said, urging all to take steps to save the species for the sake of human being, as they are part of nature.

"Eight species of migratory and resident waterfowls have landed on the lake this year," said Sahjahan Sarder, coordinator of the BWC.

There are 162 species of waterfowls in Bangladesh, while 46 of them are resident and the rest migratory.

BWC members at a press briefing held on the lake's shore said a flock of around 12,000 birds have come this year. Last year, the number was about 4,500, they added.

The members said the flock includes pin tail, lesser whistling till, ruddy shell duck, green winged till, comb duck, little egret, bittern and pond heron.

"As the adjoining areas are not safe for random hunt of migratory birds, they have been flying back to the lake for the last few years," said a BWC member.

The BWC is going to arrange a bird-welcoming festival for the first time in Bhola on December 30. After the festival, it will start a census of waterfowls in the coastal zones.

The Mirpur festival included several other programmes like art exhibition, art competition for children, cultural programme and discussion -- all about birds and nature.

Dr Md Mahbubur Rahman, Brigadier Sharifuddin Ahmed, Samudra Gupta, among others, were present.