People in Bangladesh consume 136 eggs every year whereas the number goes as high as 400 in case of developed countries, experts said at an event.

Moreover, Bangladeshis consume just one-third of the chicken meat people in developed countries eat in a year and per capita daily availability of milk in Bangladesh is only 222 millilitres, down from 250 ml in the advanced world, they said.

So, there is no alternative to increasing the per capita availability of egg, milk and meat in the country to reach the goal of building a smart Bangladesh by 2041, they added.

The experts made the comments at a seminar on the "Doctors' dialogue on right to protein" held in the capital today jointly organised by the Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council and US Soybean Export Council.

Low per capita income is responsible for protein or nutrition deficiencies, but the lack of awareness plays a big role here, Faridul Alam, vice-chancellor of the Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, said at the event.

The United States and the Europe have always topped the Olympic medal recipients table because they consume enough protein, said Biplob Kumar Pramanik, general secretary of the Bangladesh branch of the World's Poultry Science Association.

There are many misconceptions about egg and milk, said Shamsun Nahar Nahid Mohua, chief nutritionist of Birdem Hospital.

For example, there are unfounded concerns that consuming eggs and milk causes heart problems, weight gain and raise blood pressure, she said.

But the thing is eggs and milk are actually super foods, she said.