World Migratory Bird Day was celebrated in Rajshahi by the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Forum and the Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA). The day was meant to help people understand the importance of migratory birds, protect their homes and feeding areas, make sure they migrate safely, stop hunting and trading them, and encourage public involvement in saving biodiversity.
To mark the occasion, a discussion meeting was held this Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at the Rajshahi Modern Library, adjacent to Padma Garden. The event was led by Engineer Junaid Ahmed, the founder and general secretary of the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Forum.
It had many important guests, including Md. Jamat Khan, general secretary of the Rajshahi Raksha Sangram Parishad; Mst. Selina Begum, general secretary of the BAPA Rajshahi District Committee; Md. Mizanur Rahman, vice-president of the Bangladesh Biodiversity Conservation Federation; Professor Dr. B.K. Dam, president of the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Forum; Md. Shamsuzzoha Sarkar, the General Secretary of the Dustho Manab Kalyan Sangstha, and Mst. Rahima Begum and Md. Yusuf Ali Chowdhury, president and general secretary respectively of the BAPA Paba Upazila branch.
The event highlighted the importance of migratory birds in maintaining ecological balance and discussed the collective actions needed for their conservation. Birds are important for keeping food chains and webs in the environment healthy.
They help increase crop production by eating rats and other pests. They are also key indicators of how healthy the environment is. Birds are also immensely important for flower pollination. Furthermore, their aesthetic beauty is extraordinary—simply observing them uplifts the spirits of any visitor.
These factors demonstrate that birds are a unique creation of nature, and conserving them is a moral responsibility shared by us all. At the same time, a call was made through the program to socially resist bird hunters.
