Bangladesh is a sweet home of birds. Birds of different kinds and species abound in this land. They abide in woods, in hills, in marshy place and even in our homesteads. They are of various colors, sizes and habits. Some birds live on fruits and grains, some on worms and insects, some on fish and flesh, while some others feed on dirty and rotten things.


Bangladesh resounds with the songs of birds. Among the song birds, the cuckoo, the doel, the koel, the bou kotha kou and the nightingale are remarkable. The doel is our national bird.
There are different kinds of tailor birds in Bangladesh. Tallor birds are those that weave their nests themselves with surprising skill and dexterity. The tuntuni, the babul and the swallow are some of them.
The ‘haors’ and ‘beels’ as well as other marshy places in Bangladesh abound with game birds. Some of them are migratory birds. They visit Bangladesh during the late rainy season or the autumn. The game birds include the heron, the partridge, the teal, the dove, the pigeon, the snipe and the pankauri.
The hawk, the vulture, the crow and the kite belong to the kind of plundering birds. The hawk and the vulture await chances to swoop down and carry away chickens, fish and pieces of flesh from our household. The crow is also very cunning and has a thievish nature.
There are other kinds of birds which also are very well-known in Bangladesh. The ayna, the chandana, the parrot and the cockatoo are remarkable as talking birds. If they are properly trained, they can imitate human voice and talk  like men. Besides, there are domestic birds like the pigeon, the sparrow. The wood-pecker and the king-fisher fall among the kind of wild birds. The owl is a very fierce-looking bird. But it is quite innocent and harmless. It prowls only in the night and never comes out in the light of the day.

Many of the birds that abide in Bangladesh are very useful creatures. They entertain the people with sweet songs. Some of them keep the environment neat and clean while the others add to the people’s joy and delight.

---Rivers---

Bangladesh  is a land of scenic beauty criss-crossed by hundreds of river, big and small. Ours us is a deltaic plain and hundreds of rivers with their branches and tributaries have zig-zagged through the land. These rivers have made our land covered with lush green vegetation. Among the important rivers the Padma, the Meghna, the Jamuna,the Testa are noteworthy. Life is living of our people are inseparably related with these rivers.
Our rivers abound with fishes. That’s why, we can see fishermen’s villages along the banks of the rivers. Our national fish the ‘Hilsa’ is found in plenty in the rivers-the padma and the Meghna. After meeting our national demand, the fish is exported abroad and earns a lot of foreign exchange.
Our rivers are also a good source of communication. River communication is comparatively easier, cheaper and more comfortable. Large steamers and launches ply in the rivers. Passengers making journey by these transports can enjoy the exquisite natural beauty of our country.
In the rural area, farmers use river water to irrigate their crop fields. In the rainy season, the rivers are in spate and they overflood their banks. The whole rural Bangladesh assumes a fascinating look during this season. Small rivers zig-zagging through crop fields with standing crops and lush green vegetation captivate our mind. Water-fowls like pankauri, cranes, wild ducks etc. live in the reeds at the edge of rivers.
Our rivers are also a venue for various games and sports. During national festivals games like boat race, swimming are held in the rivers. These games draw huge enthusiastic crowds.
However, because of siltation and pollution, navigation in many rivers has now become very difficult. Government should take adequate measures to keep our rivers alive and restore their past glory.


Pahela Baishakh is the 1st day of Bengali Calendar. It is celebrated all over Bangladesh with great enthusiasm. On this day, shop-keepers and businessman open their new Account Books. People of Bangladesh arrange a lot of fun in order to make this day a happy one. Baishakhi Mela is a part and parcel of Bengali culture. It is perhaps the most comprehensive of the arts and cultures of Bangladesh. It is held on the first day of the Bangla New Year and the Bangalees look forward to welcoming the year through this celebration. The Ramna Batamul is the centre around which the new year celebration has spread across the city and gradually throughout the country. It is a favourite festival to me.
Every year I enjoy the celebration of the Pahela Baishak and my personal experience is very sweet in this regard. This festival encompasses exhibition, music, recitation of poetry, crafts, photography, drama etc. in the urban area. A Baishaki Mela is an annual gathering. It is one of the chief attractions of the village too. Some fairs are held for a day, some continues for some days.
It is generally held in an open place or on the bank of a river or a canal. Men, women and children gather in Baishaki Mela in large numbers. Mostly fancy goods, toys ballons, flutes are sold and children buy them.

It is a matter of pride and pleasure that we celebrate our identity in a true spirit through Baishaki Mela on this occasion.

Eid-ul-fitr is one of the greatest religious festivals for the Muslims. Muslims fast throughout the month of Ramadan to welcome the moon of Eid-ul-fitr. I’ve celebrated the Eid-ul-fitr this year with great joy and happiness. I found my mother and sisters making various cakes and cooking delicious dishes of sweets and semoy in the morning of the Eid day. I had bath in the morning and put on new clothes to go to the Eidgah. When I went to the Eidgah. I found people embracing one another after the Eid prayer. A grand feast with dainty dishes of food was arranged in our house on this occasion. In the afternoon, I distributed the delicious food among the poor and helpless people and beggars and after that I visited the houses of my friends and relatives.

I went to my village last year with my friend, Raju. It was the 1st day of Bangla new year. The villagers arranged a Baishakhi Mela. I went to the mela with my friend. There was a big crowd in the fair. The villagers in cheerful mood visited Baishakhi mela and bought traditional items. There were clay dolls, utensils, wooden furniture, hand-made things, ready made garments, various local goods, foods, sweets, cakes and so on. There were some special attractions. Circus parties, jatra parties, puppet show, merry-go-round and magic shows are some of them. We enjoyed all the items. At night when I was eating some sweets with my friends, all on a sudden, I noticed that I had lost my purse. There were five hundred taka in my purse. However, I enjoyed the mela. Mela is a meeting place of people from different walks of life.

A trade fair was held on and from 26 May, 2013 and it continued for one month, i.e., it ended on 25 June, 2013. The fair was arranged at an appropriate location of Sher-e-bangla Nagar, Dhaka. The fair covered an area of 600 yards long and 400 yards broad. There were about 350 stalls of both host and foreign countries. The stalls included arts crafts, handicrafts, food, amusement etc. The stalls were tastefully decorated. The fair was attended by the representative of 15 countries. The foreign countries tried their level best to decorate and display their local products to attract the attention of the visitors. Such a fair acts as a bridge to establish friendship and fraternity among the different participating countries. The host country earns a lot of money in the form of revenue. It creates a positive effects on the economy of the country. So in order to, boost up the economy of the country, this kind of trade fair is required to be held every year.