Butterflies bring colour and awareness to Jahangirnagar University
The third edition of the book “Butterflies of Bangladesh” was also launched at the fair, featuring photos of 360 butterfly species along with biological information and DNA-based identification data
A daylong Butterfly Fair was held today (5 December) at Jahangirnagar University (JU) with the slogan "When butterflies fly, nature comes alive," aiming to promote butterfly conservation and raise public awareness.
The 15th edition of the fair was inaugurated at 10am in front of the Zahir Raihan Auditorium by JU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan. The event was organised by the Department of Zoology.
Visitors began gathering on campus from the morning. Children and teenagers arrived with their parents—some wearing masks or colourful butterfly-themed outfits, others with butterfly face paintings. School and college students also took part in the fair.
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A second-grade student, Tahiatul Arisha Dua, who visited the fair with her family, said, "This is my first time at the butterfly fair. I loved seeing the butterflies, especially the red and blue ones."
Throughout the day, the fair featured a variety of activities for children and visitors, including a butterfly-themed art competition, quizzes on butterflies and nature, a butterfly photography exhibition and contest, kite flying inspired by butterfly shapes, and a butterfly identification competition. A colourful rally and a puppet show based on butterfly stories were also held.
This year, eminent wildlife expert Dr Ali Reza Khan received the Butterfly Award 2025 for his outstanding contribution to environmental conservation.
The Butterfly Young Enthusiast Award was jointly awarded to Shahariar Rabbi Tanmay and Nure Afshari, both students of the JU Zoology Department.
The third edition of the book "Butterflies of Bangladesh" was also launched at the fair, featuring photos of 360 butterfly species along with biological information and DNA-based identification data.
Speaking at the inauguration, the vice-chancellor said, "Humans have much to learn from butterflies. Through pollination, butterflies contribute significantly to biodiversity without causing harm."
Professor Md Monowar Hossain, convener of the fair, said, "Today is a special day for butterflies because more than 400 species can be found in Bangladesh. Around the world, molecular data is used to identify individuals—even after death. Similarly, JU's Department of Zoology has generated molecular data to identify butterfly species in Bangladesh."
