March 27, 2025
DHAKA – The authorities have detected a bird flu case at a government poultry farm in Jashore — the first in Bangladesh since 2018 — raising concerns among farmers.
Officials were closely monitoring the situation after the infection was detected on March 13, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter told The Daily Star yesterday.
Necessary measures were taken to contain the spread of the virus, she said.
Md Rashedul Haque, district livestock officer of Jashore, told The Daily Star that the virus detected there was Avian influenza Type-A.
Adviser Farida said that officials from the Department of Livestock Services visited the site and gathered all relevant information, including details on how the virus entered Bangladesh.
Citing the World Organisation for Animal Health, news agency Reuters reported that the outbreak in Jashore district killed 1,900 birds out of a flock of 3,978. All remaining birds were culled.
Contacted, Prof Tahmina Shirin, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, told The Daily Star that they were unaware of the detection of bird flu in poultry. Bangladesh first detected a case of bird flu transmission to humans in May 2008.
Suman Hawlader, president of the Bangladesh Poultry Association, an organisation representing marginal farmers in the country, said farmers were already facing significant challenges for various reasons.
Therefore, the government should take appropriate measures to prevent the virus from spreading. Otherwise, the poultry sector would face a disaster, he warned.
The association in a statement said approximately 370 farms were closed, leaving farmers financially devastated, when more than 10 lakh chickens were culled during the first bird flu outbreak in the country in March 2007.
Another outbreak of bird flu among poultry was reported in the country in 2013. The poultry industry did not suffer significant losses at that time.
Nearly 50 lakh chickens were culled, and many more farms were forced to shut down towards the end of 2017 when bird flu resurfaced in several regions.
About the latest case, the association in its statement said, “The situation is highly concerning, and if the government does not take immediate and effective measures, more farms may shut down and severely impact the country’s economy.”
It urged the authorities to enforce strict monitoring to prevent the sale of sick chickens.
It also called on the government to form a special task force to ensure prompt inspections in affected areas and implement effective disease prevention measures.
“In this situation, it is crucial to provide financial assistance and compensation to affected farmers, accelerate research, and launch vaccination programmes,” it added.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has spread globally in recent years, including in the US, leading to the culling of hundreds of millions of poultry.