A three-day biodiversity festival kicked off in Chittagong city yesterday, featuring quiz competition, painting exhibition, and film screening centering on the theme.
Alliance Française de Chittagong and its Club Biodiversity in association with The Daily Star organised the Chittagong Biodiversity Festival 2011 in its auditorium.
Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher, The Daily Star, inaugurated the festival as the chief guest, with Alliance Française de Chittagong Director Samuel Berthet welcoming the guests.
Abul Momen, resident editor, the daily Prothom Alo; Somnath Ghoshe, assistant high commissioner of India; Claudio Cambon and Georgia Guldan, teachers, Asian University for Women (AUW); and Alam Khorshed, director, Bishad Bangla, attended the inaugural ceremony.
Addressing the programme, Mahfuz Anam said although human beings are part of the nature, they have now become the cause of its destruction.
"Human beings use it, dominate it, and destroy it", he said, adding that only people's awareness could save biodiversity from destruction.
The first day of the festival was marked by an exhibition of 153 paintings on landscapes, deforestation, and nature by students of four institutions--Little Jewels School, Chittagong Grammar School, Fulki, and Dr Khastagir Girls' High School.
Organisers said the second day will feature presentation and discussion on “How to address biodiversity with the photo media” and screening of a film titled “Baraka”.
The third day will feature a screening of "Le Vieil Homme Qui Plantait Des Arbres" and award giving ceremony for the quiz and art competition.