http://www.financialexpress-bd.com/index3.asp?cnd=4/9/2006§ion_id=24&newsid=
21201&spcl=no
“Secret sale of smuggled ‘bird flu-infected’ chicks alleged”
RAJSHAHI, Apr 8: Apprehending spread of ‘Bird Flu’ virus through
smuggled Indian infected chicks, the police, the poultry farm owners
and the authorities of the Animal Resource Division have burnt 6,750
pieces of chick in Paba and Durgapur upazilas of Rajshahi and in
Natore Sadar Upazila recently.
Meanwhile, at least 1,750 ‘Bird Flu’ infected chicks have been
secretly sold to unspecified customers by some dishonest poultry farm
owners in Durgapur, it is alleged.
The police recently seized 2,000 pieces of infected Indian smuggled
chicks from the possession of Shahadat Hosain in Shalgharia village
under Durgapur Upazila and deposited those to the local office of the
Department of Animal Resources.
The authorities concerned dug a large hole beside the boundary wall
of the office of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and a sackful of
chicks were dumped under earth in presence of the police.
But local people said there were only 250 pieces of chick in that
sack as against the seized 2,000 chicks. Abdur Rashid, a peon of the
Animal Resource Division office in Durgapur, said out of 2,000 pieces
of affected chick, Shahdat managed to sell 600 pieces of chick to one
Maik of the same village and 400 chicks to one Harun of Pachubari
village with the help of the police.
Until writing of this report, the whereabouts of the rest of the
chicks could not be known.
Meanwhile, poultry farm owners of Rajshahi recently seized 800 pieces
of smuggled Indian chick from the Rajshahi Court building area and
deposited those to the local BDR members.
The BDR men, however, burnt those chicks by pouring petrol. On the
other hand, on the basis of allegation the police seized 5,700 pieces
of smuggled chicks from a pick-up van and burnt those. No one was
arrested in this connection.