NN Online:
Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar has said the import of meat and eggs will be banned under all circumstances to prevent the potential introduction of infectious zoonotic diseases into the country.
Diplomats of different countries and major business entities in Bangladesh often request meat imports to lower beef prices but such imports can destroy the local farms, she said.
The adviser came up with these remarks while addressing a views-exchange meeting with district livestock officers in the capital on Monday.
Mentioning the commerce ministry’s interest in importing meat and eggs, the adviser said a letter will soon be sent to the ministry to ensure that the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock is consulted before any such decision is made.
She also emphasised the need for establishing a Fisheries and Livestock Bank, modeled after the Agricultural Bank, to support farmers.
“If such a bank is established, farmers will have better access to loans, reducing dependency on imports while boosting production in the livestock sector,” she added.
Referring to the July-August martyr, the adviser said a department under the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs is being set up to support the families of those killed and rehabilitate the injured in the July-August movement.
