Stewart Simonson, the visiting US Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Resources Division, said this when he called on Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain at the minister's office yesterday.

The health minister welcomed the initiative and informed the US official about the steps taken to combat bird flu in Bangladesh.

He informed that the ministries of fisheries and livestock, health and family welfare, and environment and forest have jointly chalked out a national plan of action to prevent bird flu.

Mosharraf said import of poultry birds from the affected countries has been prohibited and steps have been taken to prevent any import of poultry birds from the affected countries.

The visiting US official praised Bangladesh for the quick measures it had taken before the outbreak of bird flu in the country.