I was walking along the main road when I noticed some pedestrians carrying cages, some full of birds, some empty. I could not work out where they were coming from or going, but my curiosity grew. After a while, seeing one man pass with a cage of birds, I began to follow him, feeling that his path might lead to some mysterious world of birds. Gradually the sound of birdsong reached my ears, growing livelier the further I went, like an invisible current of melody pulling me in.

At one point I had to stop short. What I saw truly amazed me: as far as the eye could see, colourful birds of many local and foreign breeds, calling, moving and fluttering, a world of its own. I had never seen so many birds in one place.

Amid the car horns, the noise of people and the din of the market, the birds' song was a source of rare calm. It felt like standing on an island of peace in the middle of a busy city.

This is no ordinary market. It is the country's largest bird market, held in Mirpur 1, at the heart of the capital Dhaka, and a favourite destination for bird lovers. It comes alive every Friday, stretching for about one and a half kilometres from the road in front of Shah Ali school. Buying and selling goes on from morning till afternoon.

Colourful birds of many breeds arrive from far and wide: pigeons, parakeets and doves in some cages, budgerigars in some baskets, sun conures with others. Sellers lay out their wares one by one, and buyers crowd round to choose their favourites.

It is not only birds: pet animals such as various breeds of chicken, cats and rabbits are also on sale. To attract buyers, sellers bring new breeds of bird, fancy cages and feed, and sometimes offer special discounts. The budgerigar is one of the most sought-after birds at the market, with prices starting at Tk 400 a pair.

The market is not only for buyers and sellers. People of all ages, from children to the elderly, come to hear the chirping and see the colourful birds of many species. It is a lively picture of love for birds, hobbies and friendship with animals, where experiences are exchanged and birds discussed. For many it is not just a market but a kind of Friday entertainment centre.

Sellers vary. Some are itinerant, walking around with cages in hand, talking to buyers and showing their birds when they see a chance. Most sit in fixed spots with rows of cages. Their work is not limited to selling: they spend much of their time sharing knowledge about a bird's age, sex, diet and care, and often their own experience of keeping birds.

What stands out most is the number of pigeons, of many local and foreign breeds, sizes and colours. A bird's price depends mainly on its breed, colour, demand and special features, but talking birds are the most expensive. Their prices start at a thousand taka and sometimes reach a lakh.

Almost everything needed for keeping birds is on sale: cages, feed, rings, locks and medicine. A simple small cage starts at Tk 250, while large, high-quality cages sell for over a thousand taka, with prices varying by type and size. Each bird has its own kind of feed, priced accordingly, and many shops sell special vitamin-enriched feed. Feed prices start at Tk 50.

In a corner of the market stood a boy with 10-12 pigeons in two cages. His name is Ismail; he lives locally in Mirpur 1 and is in class seven. "Around 2021 my uncle gave me a few pigeons as a present. Since then I've kept pigeons on the roof of our house, and their number has grown over time. I have many breeds. Keeping pigeons costs about Tk 3,000 to Tk 3,500 a month. I save my tiffin money, and I cover the costs with what I get from selling pigeons now and then. I sell a pair for Tk 600 to Tk 700. When there are too many, selling some covers the cost," he said.

Md Alamin works in Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). He had come to the market from Hazaribagh in Dhaka with his two children. "I used to keep birds myself. Now, as a father, I help my children with their hobby. We have parakeets, doves, sun conures and other birds at home. Today, on our day off, I brought them to the bird market. We bought five new birds, plus feed and small plastic boxes for them. As a father I love fulfilling these little wishes of my children. I look after the birds in my free time at home, but the brother and sister give them more time," he said.

His son Ahanaf is in class four. "I love keeping birds. We have a great time with them. When I grow up I won't take a job; I'll build a huge bird farm on the roof of our house, with many local and foreign breeds," he said.

Ershad Mia, 60, works at Krishi Bank. Alongside his job he keeps doves as a hobby, and had come to the market to sell five birds, walking up and down with his cage in the fierce sun. Asked about keeping birds at his age, he said, "In 2020 I visited a relative and brought home a pair of doves. I began keeping them in a cage, and gradually their number grew. When relatives visit, I give them doves as gifts, and now and then I bring some to the market to sell."

Ershad Mia sells doves at the market for Tk 250 a pair. His love of birds began with the sweet call of the dove, and after work he spends his free time caring for his birds.

Robin, 10, whose father works in a garment factory, had come to the market with his father and younger sister. Even at his age he has a deep love of birds, and his face showed excitement and curiosity at meeting new birds. "I love keeping birds. We have three budgerigars at home now. I feed them very carefully. I often come to the market to see and buy new birds. Today too I came to buy some new birds and their food," he said.

Walking around the market, I met a hobbyist bargaining over a bird. His name is Mordedul Haque, a salaried worker who lives in Banglamotor, Dhaka. Out of love for birds, he started keeping pigeons as a hobby in 2001.

He has a large iron cage that can hold 150 pigeons, though he currently has about 60 to 65, most of them of the "racer" breed. He comes to the market every week to sell his own pigeons, and sometimes buys new ones if the price is right.

"After costs there isn't much profit, but I keep doing it out of love. There are many like me at the market who sell their own birds and buy new ones when they find them. Those who do this professionally get good prices, though. To get a high price, you have to keep a regular eye on the birds' care, health and food," Mordedul Haque said.

In his view, keeping pigeons is not only an economic matter but a great source of mental peace. When he goes to the pigeon cage after work each day, he forgets all his fatigue, so his love of birds has become bigger than profit or loss.

Before leaving the market I saw a striking sight: a seller with one bird perched on his shoulder and another in his hand, smiling as he talked to buyers. A fun crowd had gathered around him, many taking photos on their phones and some filming videos.

The seller is Mehedi Hasan Shuvo, 27, who has a bird shop at Nawabganj Bazar in Lalbagh, Old Dhaka. He has been deeply interested in birds since childhood, and that interest led him into bird keeping as a profession, which later became a successful business.

"I got into the bird business with my elder brother's encouragement and help. The shop now has foreign birds worth about Tk 10 lakh, including many colourful and expensive species, many of which can talk like people. The shop is open every day, but I bring birds to the market every week, because I sell more here than in the shop: both wholesale and retail buyers come to the market," Shuvo said.

Sun conures are the birds most seen with Shuvo, popular for their looks and their ability to talk. He sells them for Tk 30,000 to Tk 40,000 a pair. He sells chicks as well as adult birds. The price of this bird can go up to a lakh taka.

Asked about his income and expenses, the young man said he sells birds worth Tk 2 lakh to Tk 3 lakh a month on average, and after all costs makes a profit of Tk 40,000 to Tk 50,000. He also sells birds online, with buyers contacting him from all over the country.

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