A gentle spring breeze was blowing. There was sun, but it no longer felt harsh on the skin. On such a day I set out early in the morning for Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, not for a medical admission test or any other exam, but for a pet bird fair organised by the Avian Community of Bangladesh. I took my young daughter along, thinking it would do her good to learn about birds. Who knew that, by coincidence, the medical admission test was being held at the agricultural university on the same day? There were as many parents as candidates, and I had to push through a big crowd to get in.

Inside the campus are many large trees, and there is no shortage of greenery. A little way along, the big signboard of the bird fair caught my eye, with a large Avian logo; some visitors were taking photos. Ten steps further on was the Teacher-Student Centre, where the bird competition and fair were being held. On entering, my eyes were drawn to a handsome stage on the right, where a big screen was showing the Avian Community's activities.

The Avian Community of Bangladesh is an organisation of pet bird lovers. Its members work not only for the development of pet bird keeping but also on humanitarian causes, helping the helpless during floods and the needy during the coronavirus pandemic. They also work tirelessly to stop people keeping wild birds as pets.

Past the hall, it felt as if I had entered another world. The calls of the pet birds were soothing. Birds of many colours sat in cages neatly arranged on long tables: finches and cockatiels on the right, and in the middle row budgerigars, turquoisines, macaws and hundreds more. The cockatiels whistled sweet tunes. Two lovebirds preened each other in a show of affection. A macaw called harshly, perhaps saying it did not like so many people. People watched the dance of the Gouldian finches, spellbound. One visitor remarked, "Not even humans court a girlfriend with such lovely singing and dancing."

Some visitors played with the birds. Finches, budgerigars, lovebirds, cockatiels and neophemas were kept in separate places, in cages suited to them, and experts beside the birds answered visitors' questions. At international bird shows, birds are arranged by category in exactly this way, which is perhaps why Avian officials said the show had been held to international standards. They said many of the judges of the competition in five types of birds had been trained by world-famous pet bird experts and knew the techniques of judging well.

Saifur Rahman Milton, publicity secretary of the Avian Community, said they had arranged cages, perches, water feeders, food bowls and mineral water for the birds. On the right of the auditorium, macaws and other large birds were on display. Hasan Raj, owner of the largest bird shop in Bangladesh, talked about macaws, saying that like other birds they are laying eggs and raising chicks well in Bangladesh. He said the number of pet bird lovers had grown compared with before. His stall, full of large birds, drew big crowds.

The fair offered a chance to enjoy many beautiful birds, including lories, conures, cockatoos, diamond doves, forpus, ringnecks and macaws. More than a hundred bird lovers from different parts of the country brought their best birds to the fair. Monir, who came from Barishal, said there is not always a chance to see different species of pet birds, and the fair had given him that chance, so he did not want to miss it.

Housewife Ishrat Jahan Eva waits all year for such a fair; she keeps finches at home. People of all ages, from children upwards, were at the fair. Government official Jamal Uddin came because his daughter likes birds, and the fair delighted him. "If I hadn't come here, I would never have known that such beautiful pet birds exist in our country," he said.

Banners, placards and TV monitors showing birds were set up around the fair. For anyone whose throat went dry while looking at the birds, there were food stalls, with prices no higher than at shops outside. At the front of the auditorium, two small birds caught everyone's eye: two tame birds that anyone could hold in their hands for photos. Although the fair ran until evening, the turnout of bird lovers was striking even at midday.

Such fairs not only encourage people to learn about pet birds but also motivate those who breed them, said Mirza Ferdous Galib, organising secretary of the Avian Community. He said a lethargy had set in among bird breeders for various reasons, including the coronavirus pandemic, and that it would now pass.

The hobbyists' organisation held the Avian Exotic Bird Show and National Championship 2023 for the second time on 10 March. The Avian Community began as a Facebook group in 2015. Well-known bird lovers at home and abroad have urged people to take part in the event and posted greetings on social media. Experienced bird keepers of the Avian Community say many countries earn large amounts of foreign currency by exporting pet birds, and Bangladesh has the same opportunity. Keeping pet birds could create jobs for the unemployed as well as earn foreign currency, and housewives and students could earn pocket money by raising birds.

Although I left the fair in the middle of the afternoon, I wanted to stay longer. The bird-filled surroundings had brought a shower of peace to my mind, and I headed home with a world of good feeling. May pet birds, and pet bird lovers, be well.

The writer, Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman, is a pet bird keeper.

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