Organized by the Department of Zoology’s Entomology branch, the festival will be inaugurated by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr. Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Professor Md. Monowar Hossain, the event convener and a faculty member of the Zoology Department, outlined the planned activities. These include a butterfly-themed drawing competition for children and teenagers, quizzes on butterflies and nature, a butterfly photography exhibition and competition, documentary screenings, a butterfly market, kite flying with butterfly designs, a debate competition, and a butterfly identification contest. Additional highlights are a colorful rally, puppet shows depicting butterfly stories, and a butterfly origami parade.
This year, the Butterfly Award will be presented to Sabuj Chakma, founder of the nature conservation organization Plantation for Nature, for his significant contributions to butterfly conservation. The Butterfly Young Enthusiast Award will be awarded to Mohammad Sabbir Ahmed, a Zoology student from Jagannath University.
Professor Monowar Hossain expressed concern over the alarming decline in butterfly populations, noting that Jahangirnagar University once hosted over 100 species of butterflies, but this number has now almost halved. He emphasized the need to protect butterfly habitats to reverse this trend, stating that adequate habitat preservation can significantly curb the extinction rate.
First initiated in 2010, the Butterfly Festival has become an annual event at Jahangirnagar University. This year’s title sponsor is Cute, with support from the Nature & Life Foundation, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Aranyak Foundation, and the Bangladesh Forest Department.
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