"The industry suffered heavily due to reports of aflatoxin (a poisonous element) in poultry feed a few years ago and now outbreak of bird flu in South Asian countries is affecting it badly," President of Gazipur Poura Poultry Farm Owners' Association Zahirul Islam said.

The price slump this time has pushed several hundred poultry farms in Gazipur district on the verge of collapse, said Asaduzzman Biplob, general secretary of the association.

Gazipur is the major hub of poultry industry.

In the last couple of years, around 500 poultry farms in the district closed down due to various factors.

The association leaders mentioned that wholesale price of broilers and layers has plummeted by about 50 percent to Tk 25 to 30 a kg now from Tk 50 to 60 only a few weeks ago. The price fall in retail markets is also similar.

The farms are also unable to stock chickens as it would cause them further loss due to increase in overhead cost, they added.

Poultry price has declined by around 40 percent from the usual price, said the staff at a city sales centre of a major poultry farm.

Meanwhile, high officials of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock said yesterday there was no report of bird flu in Bangladesh. They however stressed the need for alert.

"The entire field level, upazila and district officials have been asked to keep watch on the situation and report immediately any case of bird flu anywhere. Proper steps will be taken whenever needed," said State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Ukil Abdus Sattar.

"We are also examining the parent stock of poultry, imported in the last two months," he added.

Director General of Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute Quazi M Emdadul Huque said they have the technology to detect if a 'bird is negative or positive with virus'.

" Bird flu is a 100-year-old disease in the world, and people should not get panicked as out of many types of viruses, only H5N1 transmits from one species to another," he said.

In case of any infection, all kinds of movement to and from the area should be restricted, transports and equipment have to disinfected, he added.

The World Health Organisation earlier said, "This (bird flu) is a serious global threat to human health," and sought global efforts to combat it.

Bangladesh government banned import of poultry, broiler or layer stock from India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan, Malaysia and South Korea in the wake of bird flu outbreak. Bangladesh Rifles have also been alerted to prevent smuggling in of poultry from across the borders.

The ban will continue for two months from January 15 and it will not create any crisis in poultry supply, the state minister said.