CHATTOGRAM: The winter is here now, so is the chirrups of migratory birds. Their short, high pitched sounds can be heard now in the southeastern district, including the port city. Tens of Thousands of migratory or guest birds have gathered at seabeach and shores, river banks, lakes, wetland and hilly areas of Chattogram and Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
Thousands of migratory birds have also arrived in Dhaka, including the capital, and other districts after making hundreds of miles journey from the planet's remote areas where the winter cold is unbearable, including north pole, Siberia, Japan, northern parts of China and some countries in Himalayan region. They fly in flocks and land on countries and regions, including Bangladesh, where cold is less severe and food for them is available.
However, a good many guest birds which come to the comparatively warmer country in the South Asian region in search of food and shelter during winter get killed by the bird hunters and vendors.
Experts said thousands of migratory birds get killed by hunters every year in Chattogram, CHT, Cox's Bazar and other regions and districts of Bangladesh.
Some of the hunters kill them to make fun while others do so for selling the hunted birds to city-dwellers and other people who live in the outskirts and adjoining upazilas.
Like past years, thousands of guest birds have already arrived in different areas of the port city this winter. The birds have gathered in beaches, including Patenga, the seashores, Kaptai Lake, banks of Karnaphuli and other rivers and hilly areas. They stay in these areas from November to late January every year during winter.
Many bird lovers go to the river bank and seashores to see the beautiful birds and enjoy their chirping, especially on holidays.
Zoololist Asma Begum of the port city said like every years, birds of different species escaping extreme cold at their homes in the northern hemisphere come to Bangladesh in search of food. Tens of thousands of such birds landed on Patenga seabeach, banks of River Karnaphuli and shores and coastal areas of Chattogram district during the advent of winter in November.
She, however, expressed worries over killing of these birds by hunters and doing of business with the hunted birds by some unscrupulous traders to make money during winter season.
Echoing her, eminent environmentalist Aliur Rahman, also aired concerns over hunting of these birds and selling the same to people, especially to well-off ones, just to mint some money during winter.
Talking with the FE, Md Nurul Huda, a resident of Patenga area and also a bird lover, said every day during winter, the sights of these beautiful guest birds delight him and he enjoys their sweet shrill, and high pitched sounds in early morning and evening every day.
"The morning comes to us by the sounds of the guest birds now. There are innumerable migratory birds now in our area which is adjacent to the bank of Karnaphuli. Many birds are also there in nearby upazilas, and the fishermen's village in Katgor area," he said.
Zoologist Asma Begum said, 'Every year during winter, when cold turns severe in Siberia, migratory birds like ducks flock to the port city, seashores and both banks of Karnaphuli river. They also fly into these areas from China and Himalayan reign between November, December and January. The nature here gets changed with the presence of huge migratory birds during this time of year."
Hundreds of city-dwellers visit river banks, especially Karnaphuli's Hazrat Shah Amanat Bridge area to see the birds.
Many hunters also go to this area and Patenga to slay these beautiful birds. Asma Begum said birds come here for to save their lives but there are some people who always go there apparently with an intention to hunt them for doing business with the helpless creatures. Their action will definitely hurt every person who has conscience."
However, no steps have been taken by any quarter, including the local administration to save the lives of the guest birds, she lamented.
It is alleged by other nature conscious city-dwellers that hunters are killing the migratory and guest birds every day but no measures has yet been taken by the concerned authority to stop this heartless action by unscrupulous traders. After hunting them, some of the traders are vending the migratory birds at local bazaars and nearby upazilas, including Anwara, Potiya and Boalkhali. Besides, some vendors are carrying the birds to densely populated as well as posh areas where they sell the birds to rich people at high prices, a city-dweller alleged.
