Migratory birds in Moulvibazar pose bird flu threat
Moulvibazar district is in high risk of avian influenza (bird flue) as haors in the area are favourite places of migratory birds that are potential carriers of the virus. Every winter lakhs of birds from the cold region in the north come here and their number has recently increased in Hakaluki and Hail haors following environment-friendly steps taken by the Department of Environment (DoE). Migratory birds are one of the carriers of bird flue virus but there is no laboratory in Moulvibazar district to conduct tests for detection of the bird flu virus, experts said. Following detection of bird flue virus in a poultry farm in Kulaura upazila in January, people of the district are in panic of the virus. Hakaluki Haor, one of the largest haors of the country, covers 20 thousand hectares of land in three upazilas of Moulvibazar and two upazilas of Sylhet district. Another big haor, Hail haor comprises areas in two upazilas of Moulvibazar and one upazila of Habiganj district. So the area sees large gathering of migratory birds in winter. Dr Nurul Islam, upazila livestock officer of Juri upazila in Moulvibazar, said a laboratory to examine bird flue virus should be urgently set up at a place in eastern part of Moulvibazar district.