Every year, when the Gumai Beel bursts into gold with ripe paddy, it is not just the farmers who rejoice. Hundreds of thousands of red-breasted parakeets descend from the mountains to claim their share of the rice. Just before the end of the Boro and Aman seasons, these birds enjoy a lavish feast as they soar over the golden fields. Gumai Beel, also known as the grain storehouse of Chattogram, is the second-largest paddy field in the country after the Chalan Beel. Spanning 3,000 hectares, it can produce enough paddy to feed the entire population of Bangladesh for at least two days -- a proud claim by the farmers of Rangunia upazila.

PHOTO: M HAIDER ALI