The Saidpur Railway District Superintendent of Police has a large official residence on two acres of land in the Railway Officers' Colony at Saidpur in Nilphamari. Superintendent of Police (SP) Siddiqui Tanzilur Rahman lives there with his wife and children.

The whole compound is laid out as a pleasant garden with a number of lychee trees and ornamental flowering plants. Doves have built nests everywhere: in the round pavilion in front of the house, on the gate, in the lychee orchard and on the air-conditioning units.

SP Siddiqui Tanzilur Rahman said doves have nested in 30 places around the building. Because of them he cannot spray pesticide in the lychee orchard either.

So that the birds can lay their eggs in peace, the bird-loving SP has put a strict watch on the residence and its grounds.

"I am no longer sitting in the pavilion with people who come with complaints. Nobody is speaking loudly," he said.

"The lychee trees have fruited, and this is when pesticide has to be sprayed. But I have told people not to do that either," he added.

"I feel great affection for the birds. My residence is now a sanctuary for doves. Keeping them safe causes my family some inconvenience, but we do not mind it at all," the SP said.

Alamgir, president of the bird and environment organisation Setu Bandhan, said: "We have learnt about this. We will support SP Siddiqui Tanzilur Rahman in every way on this."

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