Caging the symbol of freedom

Birds flying the limitless open sky is an enduring symbol of the freedom of spirit and mind. These very symbols are however caged for profit, even as the ethics of buying and selling animals have increasingly come under question in modern times. In Chattogram city's Dewanhat area, traders set up a market every Monday and Wednesday selling animals. Birds like parrots and various species of pigeons are most commonly found in such markets, while traders also sell other animals such as various breeds of dogs. Birds are kept in cages and have been domesticated to such an extent that those allowed out do not fly away. Not far away from the market in the port city's Sadarghat area, hundreds of birds of various species are free to flock together to eat the scraps discarded from ships. Also near the Sadarghat area, the example of a kinder human-avian relationship can be seen in the form of birds visiting a birdhouse to enjoy the feed put out for them.

Photo: Rajib Raihan