CU campus-a sanctuary for birds, rare plants

Birds find the steep sides of hills on the Chittagong University campus as safe place to build nests, left, while different species of birds, right, perch on trees and a line. PHOTO: Zobaer Hossain Sikder

The university is situated on around 1258 acres of land with hills and forests comprising around 72 per cent of the total land.

The authorities also developed a forest enriched with flora and fauna on around 400 acres of land turning the campus a sanctuary for the birds.

Out of 788 species of birds of the country, 151 species are living on CU campus, say surveys conducted by the students and teachers of Zoology Department, adding that it is 20 per cent of the total birds.

Of them, 87 per cent of the birds stay permanently on the campus while the rests join in different seasons.

According to the experts and researchers, the number of species of birds in Bangladesh is higher than those of the neighbouring countries compared to the basis of land area.

The statistics show 1,302 species of birds are living in India, 737 in Pakistan, 124 in the Maldives, 441 in Sri Lanka, 680 in Bhutan, 901 in Nepal and 500 species in Afghanistan, said Prof Ghazi SM Asmat of Zoology Department, also president of Bangladesh Wildlife Network.

Prof Asmat in his survey in 1985, the first one after establishment of the university in 1966, found 79 species of birds on the campus.

Later, two other teachers, Dr M Farid Ahsan and Nasima Khanam of the same department, conducted survey to discover 38 other species of birds on the campus.

Two other surveys, conducted by Umme Habiba and Mohammed Kamruzzaman of the department, in 2003 and 2004, found presence of 34 more new species of birds.

The birds include different types of yellow-breasted singing birds (Shalik), Heron, Kite, Owl, Nightingale, Dove, Great Tit, Greater Coucal, Green bee eater, Barn swallow, White wagtail, Sadamata Nakuti, Suichora, Ababil and Khanjani.

Prof Asmat said, "The birds get a tranquil and friendly atmosphere in and around the campus where they also find a plenty of food as they to live there permanently."

"If the university authorities take steps to conserve the forest and save the wildlife from poachers it would surely be further enriched with wide varieties of wildlife in future," he added.

Apart from birds, more than 1,000 species of natural and planted plants enriched the Botanical Garden of the university to offer the students as well as the teachers a rare scope for carrying out practical and research works inside the campus.

The garden spreads over some 100 acres of land adjoining Pritilata Hall on the south of the campus.

Prof M Abdul Aziz Khan, founding head of the Botany Department, took the initiative to turn the natural forest into the garden in 1976.

The garden under the supervision of the Botany Department has different species of plants in 35 blocks.

There are separate blocks for nurturing medicinal, shrub, woody, orchid, teak, palash, mehagani, gymnosperm, lemon, jackfruit, palm, coconut, rose, seasonal flower, manjium and spices.

The medicinal plants of the garden include Sarpagandha, Harjoralata, Nisinda, Kalo Megh, Tulashi Pata, Aurjun, Bohera, Thankuni, Dhutara, Basak, Neem, Tamarind and Horitaki.

Apart from seasonal and different species of perennial flowers like Ganda, Silvia, Dahlia, Cosmos, Star, Sunflower, the garden also have 12 types of roses.

The garden is also blessed with Drosera, a rare species of plant that attracts insects and kills them with its secretion.

The Drosera usually grows on the hillside fallow land of the garden in the winter, said Prof M Atiqur Rahman, chairman of Botany Department.