The government has decided not to impose any immediate ban on import of poultry products as proposed by different state agencies concerned to prevent possible spread of bird flu in the country, officials said.
It also decided to rather strengthen surveillance so that the bird flu does not spread in the local poultry industry due to imports, they added.
The decisions came at a recent inter-ministerial meeting, attended by the secretaries of commerce and, fisheries and livestock, representatives from the home ministry, land port authority, DLS and other state agencies.
As part of the preventive measures, the meeting decided to ensure adequate supply of rapid test kits and personal protective equipment to identify such disease at the initial stage to help protect the local poultry sector from any possible outbreak of the flu.
It also decided to set up adequate checkpoints on the roads and highways to make sure spraying disinfectants on the vehicles carrying poultry products and distribute leaflets, festoons and banners to create public awareness in this regard.
The meeting also stressed the need for strengthening vaccination of avian influenza across the country through incentivising the private poultry farmers, meeting sources said, adding that 100 per cent vaccination should be ensured in cases of day-old chick at the hatchery level.
They said the meeting has also taken the decision to ensure vaccination for the golden variety of poultry on pilot basis.
Earlier, the commerce ministry sought opinion from the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) about the possibility to ban import of poultry items from neighbouring countries, including India.
The DLS has recently recommended a set of measures, including strong vigilance and other precautions, to contain the bird flu contamination.
"We have reviewed the recommendations," a senior official of the commerce ministry said.
In the second week of January, the livestock ministry in a letter asked the DLS to take all possible steps to contain bird flu.
The DLS has also been asked to take precautions in all districts, including the frontier ones, through intensive supervision of both public and private farms.
The ministry also advised the department to collect and test quickly in the nearest lab if any dead or suspicious fowl or bird is found.
Besides, the ministry asked it to ensure supply of adequate test kits and protective gears at district and upazila veterinary hospitals and laboratories.
For ensuring bio-safety of farms, it also ordered to launch widespread campaign to warn farmers and verify the existing stock of vaccines for flu prevention.
Amid concerns over bird flu outbreak in India, an intelligence report earlier suggested taking measures to stop poultry import from India, especially through land ports, to check virus transmission.
It also recommended formation of a high-powered committee comprising experts from livestock department for suggestions to contain bird flu.
The Prime Minister's Office referred the report to the ministry concerned for an action plan to this effect.
According to the report, the bird flu situation has turned severe in different Indian states and it might also spread across Bangladesh.
The owners of Bangladeshi poultry farms are thus worried over the flu outbreak in India.
Avian influenza was detected in poultry, cow, crow, pigeon, kite, duck and black stork populations, forcing India to cull tens of thousands of poultry birds.
Sector insiders said Bangladesh currently imports a very negligible amount of poultry items from India.
In border areas, some people are involved in smuggling poultry items like day-old chicks which, the businesses fear, might cause the spread of flu in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh mainly imports parent stock and grandparent stock from European countries, the insiders mentioned.
