Dhaka, Oct 26 (IANS): Bangladeshi animal rights activists have launched a street campaign in Dhaka to sterilise thousands of stray dogs to limit their population in a humane manner.

Non-profit organisation Obhoyaronno launched a programme earlier in October to vaccinate and sterilize 4,000 stray dogs within a year.

"There is no alternative to sterilisation for dog population management," Obhoyaronno's president Rubaiya Ahmad told Efe news on Wednesday, adding they pose a threat to public health as they can transmit rabies through biting.

Dhaka has 37,000 stray dogs, a lower number than other cities in South Asia but it continues to worry the authorities and its 16 million residents.

The sterilisation drive will save the dogs from culling, which has been banned since 2014 by a court order, following a complaint by Obhoyarono.

The organisation claims to have vaccinated and sterilised more than 10,000 dogs between 2012 and 2014, and seeks to sterilise all the remaining ones in Dhaka over the next 10 years, with the collaboration of Humane Society International.

"At the moment, we can only ensure no new dogs will be added to the existing population. But to limit dog population, we have to allow the existing population to live out their lifespan, which is five to 10 years," Ahmad added.