GOPALGANJ, Oct 26, 2023 (BSS) - A total of 1,002 fishermen families of the district have received vulnerable group feeding (VGF) rice as they remained abstained from fishing mother hilsa fish in the river during the recent ban period imposed by the government.

District Administration and the Department Of Fisheries have distributed 25 kilograms (kg) of rice free of cost to each fisherman family, said fisheries officer of the district Bijan Kumar Nandi.

As part of the conservation of hilsa, one of the geographical indication (GI) products of Bangladesh, on Madhumati River, the government has imposed a ban of catching hilsa from October 12 to November 2 next as it is the main breeding season of hilsa.

Under this humanitarian aid programme, 470 families in Gopalganj Sadar upazila, 300 in Tungipara upazila and 232 families in Kashiani upazila got aid.