Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter today addressed a seminar marking the ‘World Rabies Day-25’. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, Sept 27, 2025(BSS) - Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter today called for enhancing mass awareness about rabies to prevent the disease.

“We need not to be panicked regarding rabies rather we have to take preventive measures and create mass awareness about the disease,” she said.

The adviser was addressing a seminar organized by the Directorate of Livestock at Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC) here marking the ‘World Rabies Day-25’.

The adviser stressed on creating mass awareness on different issues like mass dog vaccination programme, shelter and rescue centre and the Animal Welfare Act-2019. She, however, urged all concerned to change the mentality towards dogs and to be kind to the animal.

With Director General of the Livestock Directorate Dr Md Abu Sufian in the chair, Director (Admin) of the Directorate Dr Md Boyzar Rahman delivered the address of welcome at the seminar where another Director of the office Dr Md Shahinur Alam presented the key note speech.

Dr Shahinur Alam, in his key note speech, revealed that the disease spread over 150 countries in the world while the yearly mortality rate of rabbies is estatted about 59,000. Besides, the yearly loss due to this disease (in terms of money) across the world are about 8.6 Billion US dollars, he added.

In his speech, Dr Md Abu Sufian said that we have to keep the health of dog good for the sake of the health of human being. He also urged all concerned to expedite research work on rabies and to be kind to the animals.

Director General (DG) of the Health Directorate Dr Md Abu Zafar, DG BARC Dr Sakila Faruk, Director of the ICDDR’B Prof Dr Tahmina Shirin and ACI Agri Business Division President Dr F H Ansari were present at the seminar as special guests. 

Founder of Sanctuary Bangladesh Animal Welfare Society Rubaiya Ahmed, founder Chairman of ‘People for Animal Welfare Foundation Architect Rakibul Haque Emil and Director of Central Veterinary Hospital Dr Md Aziz Al Mamun took part in the discussion. 

Earlier, a colourful procession was brought out in the capital by the Livestock Directorate with a slogan- “Work unitedly to eliminate rabies’.