WINGS OF THE KING: A Common Kingfisher displays its plumage on a bamboo in the capital’s Botanical Garden. Resident to much of its range, across Eurasia and North Africa, they tend to migrate during colder seasons where rivers are not frozen. Kingfishers are known to fly low and straight like bullets – reaching up to 25 mph. However, scientists are more excited by their beaks than their speed. Sharp, pointy and long, these beaks can silently slice through water without alerting fish. Japanese engineers have even designed high-speed bullet trains like the beak to prevent sonic boom upon entering a tunnel. Kingfishers are generally solitary birds and not quite fond of one another – an aversion they have to overcome during breeding season. While these birds are generally shy, they take advantage of human-made canals and waterways to fish and nest. Though Common Kingfishers are classified as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List, their numbers are still threatened by human activities like deforestation. PHOTO: SHABBOSACHI DAS
A mahout makes his elephant stop a three-wheeler in the middle of the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar to extort money from the driver and passenger. Using elephants for extortion is common and has been known to be a traffic nuisance for long. However, it is the elephants that suffer the most. Due to their ability to train fast and their friendly nature, people use them for illegal acts and often torture them during training. File photo: Palash Khan/Star
Residents of many areas in the capital are suffering an acute gas crisis due to an inadequate supply of piped gas. In poor homes where up to 50 families share a single kitchen and must get in line to cook their meals, waiting for gas pressure to rise in the evening is agonising. The photo was taken yesterday at a slum in the capital’s Begunbari.
Photo: Anisur Rahman
Farmers push their bicycles with earthen pots full of the date palm juice in a foggy morning at Sabdarpur village of Jhenaidah. The delicious juice is sold raw and also used to make gur.
Photo: Habibur Rahman
Impounded vehicles left haphazardly on the street in front of the Adabar Police Station disrupt traffic flow. As the vehicles have taken up the entire footpath, pedestrians are forced to walk on the road.
Photo: Amran Hossain
