"A committee has already been set up to formulate the policy," he said while addressing a seminar in the city.

The seminar titled 'Avian influenza: Impact on poultry industry and its prevention' was organised by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) at its auditorium.

Terming the growth of poultry industry unregulated, Karim said

the government will strengthen security system at the import points to check entering any avian influenza-infected chicks from abroad.

He said apart from state-run Biman poultry, other private sector farms are also responsible for spreading avian influenza in the country.

"It is said Biman poultry spread avian influenza. But, the virus was also spread by many other farms which imported avian influenza- infected chicks from countries from where chick import is banned," he added.

"We have the list of those farms, but I don't want to disclose their names," the adviser said.

"We will find out a working plan to help or compensate the affected poultry farm owners. But, the compensation policy will be focused on small farmers," he added.

The adviser said so far the government has detected avian influenza in 21 farms of seven districts out of three lakh farms across the country and culled some 75,000 fowls.

"It's a lesson for us. Let us learn and march forward to support the industry for a sustainable development," he added.

Addressing the function, DCCI Acting President M Shahjahan Khan said the poultry sector is an emerging sector where around Tk 8000 crore has already been invested and some 60 lakh people are involved in this industry directly and indirectly.

Other speakers at the seminar urged the government to formulate a national poultry policy and national planning to save the industry.

They said along with awareness, laboratory facilities to diagnose the diseases should be increased.

The immune status of the poultry workers also needs to be upgraded, they added.

Dr Priya Mohan Das, professor of Bangladesh Agriculture University, presented a keynote paper while Dr Abul Kalam Azad, national consultant of Food and Agriculture Organisation, Kazi Zahedul Hasan, managing director of M/s Kazi Farms Limited, and Moshiur Rahman, president of World Poultry Association-Bangladesh, spoke at the seminar.