A day-long butterfly fair will be held at Jahangirnagar University (JU) on 24 November to promote butterfly conservation and public awareness.

The fair's convener, Professor Monwar Hossain of the zoology department, confirmed the event to Jago News on the afternoon of Wednesday, 8 November.

The fair has been held on campus since 2010, organised by the entomology branch of the university's zoology department.

Professor Monwar Hossain said: "Butterflies play an enormous role in plant pollination. Jahangirnagar once had 110 species of this small insect, but that has now fallen by half. For the sake of our own existence we must keep butterflies alive in nature. So, to raise awareness, the butterfly fair is being held again this year as every year."

He said the fair will be held in front of the university's Zahir Raihan auditorium. This year a Butterfly Award will be given for overall contribution to nature conservation, along with a Butterfly Young Enthusiast Award and Butterfly Media Awards in online, print and TV categories.

The fair will also feature a butterfly drawing competition for children, a butterfly photo exhibition, a butterfly photography competition, a visit to the butterfly market, butterfly-shaped kite flying, origami butterflies, an open debate, a butterfly identification competition and screenings of butterfly documentaries.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.