Walk the tree-lined paths of Jahangirnagar University in winter and you will notice the lakes have company. Migratory birds arrive in large numbers, and the campus, a nationally recognised bird sanctuary, draws birdwatchers, researchers and conservationists from across Bangladesh and beyond.
Two fairs, one idea
The university's Butterfly Fair was held on 6 December 2024, and Bird Fair 2025 followed on 3 January 2025. The Department of Zoology counts both among its recurring events, and faculty describe their purpose plainly: to raise conservation awareness among young people, researchers and the wider public by connecting academic knowledge with people who simply enjoy being outdoors.
A department built for it
The fairs sit on top of real infrastructure. The Department of Zoology reports a Wildlife Rescue Centre, an Insect Rearing and Research Centre supported by a DNA barcoding laboratory, and a fish hatchery complex. Together they support teaching and research that is directly relevant to biodiversity and conservation.
Students on the ground
Students are part of the story too. The student-led JU Nature Conservation Club (JUNCC) runs biodiversity assessments, tree-planting drives, lake clean-ups and conservation seminars throughout the year, and during bird season it is at the forefront of explaining to visitors what is happening in the wetlands.
- 17 September 2024: the Nature Conservation Initiative began installing tree identification signs so that students, teachers, employees and visitors can recognise the trees they walk past.
- 23 September 2024: the university branch of Badhan launched a tree-planting programme, starting with a Hasnahena plant near its office.
- 7 February 2025: the Bangladesh Botanical Society held its annual botanical conference on campus under the theme "Indigenous Plants for a Sustainable Environment".
Some of our most essential sustainability efforts can be accomplished simply by protecting what we currently have.
That idea runs through everything above. The fairs, the signs, the saplings and the clean-ups are all ways of making a living campus visible, so that it stays worth protecting.