Arunima Resort in Narail has become a sanctuary for birds. The resort echoes all year with the calls of many native and foreign species, and visitors are enchanted by the colourful birds.

On the ground, flocks of migratory birds were seen flying in to the resort's lake, while thousands of native birds chattered in trees large and small. Many visitors tried to get close to the birds by boat. The number of birds on the lake grows towards evening, and many people were seen photographing their frenzy in the red glow of the setting sun.

Afsana Akter came to Arunima with her family from Dhaka two days earlier. She said she liked the trees, flowers and birds. "The comings and goings of the birds are heart-warming. I have not seen so many birds anywhere in the country. I am enchanted by their chirping."

Another visitor, Md Tafsir, said: "We live amid the mechanical life of the city. What you would call a pleasant environment cannot be found in the city. Here, along with the natural surroundings, I can see plenty of birds."

F M Azgar Ali, a schoolteacher, said he was delighted to see cormorants and many other species. "The birds' calls in natural surroundings create an enchanting atmosphere," he said.

Arunima Resort manager Munib Khandaker said native and foreign birds come there for nine to ten months of the year, with numbers rising in winter. People watch the birds with delight, he said.

The resort's chairman, Khabir Uddin Ahmed, said: "Birds like these are not seen at any other resort in the country. Birds must be given homes and security. They are safe here, which is why they stay for a long time."

Kazi Ayub Hossain, chairman of the local Joynagar union, said visitors come to see native and foreign birds. "We view this warmly and give them every kind of help. This Panipara area is known to everyone for its birds, and we are proud of that."

Kalia upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Runu Saha told Jago News that large numbers of migratory birds come to the resort, and visitors come from all corners of the district to see them. "We give them full support," she said.

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