Book lovers of all ages flock to the Ekushey Boi Mela in the capital’s Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday, which was supposed to be the final day of the cherished literary fair. However, as it is a leap year and the last day of the month leads into the weekend, publishers were granted a two-day extension. The Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela will continue today and tomorrow. PHOTO: PRABIR DAS

Brick kilns operating in Savar’s Amin Bazar area contribute significantly to the air pollution in the capital. Even yesterday, Dhaka topped the list of cities across the world with the worst air quality. In the face of such environmental degradation, Environment Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury recently announced that the government would introduce incentive packages to promote the production of eco-friendly block bricks to transition away from air-polluting and land-damaging brick kilns. PHOTO: PALASH KHAN

TWICE AS WISE Two spotted owlets huddled together in their cozy tree cavity in the heart of Chattogram city. Found across the Indian subcontinent, except in Sri Lanka, these small, stocky birds are common residents of open habitats. Although placed in the “Least Concern” category of the IUCN’s Red List, rapid tree-felling directly results in habitat destruction for these owlets. PHOTO: MONJUR MORSHED