One Hundred Birds
Surprisingly our national bird, the oriental magpie-robin, is missing from the birds on display at the photographic exhibition Pakhir Desh Bangladesh (Bangladesh, a Land of Birds) at the National Museum in Shahbagh. The eminent birder Enam Ul Haque explains the absence: “We want to cover the entire gamut of our 700 bird species in a cycle of eight annual exhibitions without repeating birds and the magpie-robin was already shown in a previous exhibition.” This year's exhibition, the third of the eight-exhibition cycle, is organised by the Bangladesh Bird Club. It has photographs of one hundred different bird species of Bangladesh taken by fifty-one members of the club.
The club was founded in 1996 by Enam Ul haque. The current President of the 150-member club is Professor Obaidul Haque. It focuses on studying and understanding our birds and raising public awareness about them while providing a friendly forum for enthusiasts. Thanks to its annual bird census, started in 2000, we can track the population of our migratory birds. Since 2010, trained members of the club have ringed birds to better understand their global movement. The bird club also organises bird fairs in places such as the National Botanical Garden and Jahangirnagar University. It makes a special effort to reach out to youngsters. By taking its bird fairs to various schools, often in remote regions, it teaches school children about our birds and nature. In 2015, the club started a research-grant programme for university students interested in studying birds.
The exhibition, being held at the Nalini Kanta Vattashali Gallery in the Museum, is an absolute delight. We come face-to-face with a wide variety of birds. The species, presented in various poses and action, are presented according to family.
The photographers have often gone through extraordinary lengths to locate the birds they have photographed. Thus, we have Asian woolly-necked storks photographed in out-of-the-way chars of Chapai Nawabganj, a portrait of a magnificent pair of hornbills from Shatchori National Forest and a black eagle, previously unseen in Bangladesh and first recorded here three years ago, photographed in Bandarban. Portraits of smaller birds are also captivating, including a dark-sided flycatcher, a Siberian rubythroat and a resplendent ruby-cheeked sunbird, perhaps the prettiest bird in the show.
Rarities include photographs of oystercatchers (common in some other places but rare in Bangladesh) and the endangered black-bellied tern.
The photographs of the exhibition – which was inaugurated by the Honourable Energy Advisor to the Prime Minister Dr. Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Bir Bikram - are augmented by other items from the Museum's collection pertaining to birds. Terracotta plaques from between 9th and 12th centuries, recovered from Paharpur, depict a peafowl and a swan eating lotus petiole. Ten paintings of various birds by the great Kamrul Hasan vibrate with colour and life. At the entrance is an elaborate tableau of 22 species of stuffed birds shown in their natural habitat. A selection of beautiful books on birds can also be seen.
The exhibition runs until 29th April, 2017 at the National Museum at Shahbagh, Dhaka. Hours are 10:30am to 5:30pm, except on Friday when it is open 3pm to 8pm. The Museum is closed on Thursdays.
The Museum authorities deserve our appreciation for putting on this exhibition. For members of the bird club this is yet another important milestone achieved through many hours of dedicated work.
This wonderful and educational show is well worth a visit. If you go, please consider taking children of your family so they can learn about our treasures.
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