The Sugandha, Bishkhali, Gabkhan and Dhansiri rivers flow through Jhalakathi Sadar upazila. West of the confluence of these four rivers lies Gabkhan Dhansiri union, to the south Ponabalia union, and to the north-east Jhalakathi municipality. Winter's migratory birds have taken shelter on the west bank of the Bishkhali, along the riverside at Bhatarakanda in Gabkhan Dhansiri union and Diyakul village in Ponabalia union.

A public awareness campaign has been run to protect these migratory birds and other birds that keep the environment in balance. People of all ages took part in the "Say no to bird hunting" campaign on three speedboats. Messages with slogans on protecting birds were broadcast, and festoons carrying the numbers of the officers-in-charge of the district's four police stations were put up in busy places.

The campaign ran on Tuesday from 3pm to 6pm along the waterways and at riverside markets. Businessman Shamsul Haque Manu led the drive, which covered about 20 kilometres to build public awareness.

Every winter, birds come to the country from far away, and people who love to travel flock to the wetlands to see them; the birds' calls add greatly to the beauty of nature. Counting resident and migratory birds, the country has about 650 species of birds. Of these, 360 are resident and the other 300 are migratory. Not all migratory birds come in winter: of the 300 species, 290 arrive in the winter season and 10 species stay on.

Businessman Shamsul Haque Manu said that as soon as winter comes, birds of many colours, some known and some unknown, can be seen at these wetlands, safe spots on riverbanks, haors, baors, beels and pond banks. Yet these birds are being hunted illegally. "Migratory birds are our friends, our heritage, our pride and our inspiration. We need to be friendly so the birds can adjust to an unfamiliar environment. Protecting them is our duty," he said.

He added that bird hunting, indiscriminate felling of trees and excessive pesticide use on crops are the main enemies of migratory birds. Bird habitats in the country are being destroyed all the time, and countless rare migratory birds are dying at the hands of greedy hunters. Birds are being hunted indiscriminately with net traps, poison bait and shotgun pellets, some for fun and some for sale in the market.

Mosammat Zebunnesa, assistant professor of zoology at Jhalakathi Government College, said the number of birds coming to the country in winter is falling at an alarming rate. "When we go to see migratory birds, we want to get very close to them. Throwing stones to frighten them so we can watch them fly disrupts their free movement. The noise of launches, steamers, speedboats and trawlers on the rivers also frightens the birds. So the law must be enforced strictly, and we must cooperate with the administration too."

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