Akash Koli Das, famous as ‘Pakhibandhu’ of Kaitola village of Bara upazila of Pabna, has been conferred with the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Award-2024. He received the award from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka on Wednesday (June 5) on World Environment Day.
It is known that Bangabandhu Award for Wildlife Conservation-2024 has been nominated by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in three categories. Akash Koli Das was awarded in the Wildlife Conservation Officer, Eminent Researcher, Scientist, Wildlife Conservationist and Media Worker/Personality (A) category.
In this award Akash Kali Das was given a cash equivalent to the market value of gold weighing two bhoris (23.32 grams) and a check and certificate of fifty thousand rupees.
Aakash Kali Das is locally known as ‘Pakhibandhu’ due to his genuine love for birds. 62-year-old Jharna Das is her younger sister in nature service. Now he is about 88 years old. He and his sister did not live together. They have no relatives in this country. Those who are there, they also left for India before independence.
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Chirkumar Koli Das’s love of birds
Akash Kali Das is the eldest among the parents’ six children. Father Chandra Kumar Das was the naib of the zamindar house of Nagarbari Nibas Diya in Bara upazila of Pabna. After the death of his father at the age of 17, he had to take care of the family. He was lastly the headmaster of the local Machkhali Government Primary School. Akash Kali Das retired from service in the nineties.
Akash Kali’s six and a half bigha property in Kaitola village is like a small jungle. This forest has mango, jackfruit, cedar trees and many native and foreign trees including Indian persimmon, goubi. All trees are planted with birds in mind. He has opened his habitat for animals.
Akash Koli Das, who received the award, expressed his thanks and gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He said that he did not love wildlife in the hope of getting something. He did it from the heart. He wants to spend the rest of his life loving wildlife.
Earlier on June 7, a report titled ‘Chirkumar Koli Das’s Pakhiprem’ was published in Jago News.
Amin Islam Jewel/MKR
