"Bangladesh's poultry industry is currently facing an unprecedented crisis due to a severe heatwave, resulting in the death of 100,000 chickens daily and financial losses reaching Tk20 crore."

The poultry sector in Bangladesh is under severe strain as a brutal heatwave continues to cause widespread mortality among chickens. The Bangladesh Poultry Association (BPA) has reported the daily loss of around 100,000 chickens, translating into a financial blow of Tk20 crore. The BPA President, Md Sumon Howlader, has sounded the alarm on the looming threat of a supply shortfall and has reached out to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, seeking urgent intervention.

Farmers are currently grappling with inflated prices for chicks, which have soared to Tk 80-90 each, far exceeding the production cost of Tk 28-30. This price hike is attributed to the heatwave that began post-Eid, leading to a sharp 4 to 10 percent drop in egg and chicken production, as per BPA's findings.

In a distressing tally over the last 10 to 12 days, the nation has seen the loss of more than 1 million broiler, layer, and Sonali chickens, with broilers constituting 80 percent of the total fatalities. The BPA has also expressed concern over potential market manipulation by major egg chicken suppliers and egg syndicates based in Tejgaon, forecasting a steep rise in prices from August to October.