CHANDPUR, Oct 27, 2023 (BSS)- A total of 88 fishermen, in separate drives, 
along with current nets and mother Hilsha fish arrested from the Meghna river 
here during the last 24-hour for defying the government's ongoing a 22-day 
ban on Hilsha fishing.

Sadar Upazila Task Force, Haimchar Upazila Task Force and Naval Police 
conducted the drives in the district.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chandpur Naval Police Station Md. Kamruzzaman said 
a total of 88 fishermen were arrested with 672-kg of Hilsha, 26 fishing boats 
and five lakh meters of banned current nets during the drives in the Meghna 
river of the district.

The mobile courts sentenced 25 fishermen to different terms imprisonment.
Among them, 10 juvenile were released as they were minor and rests of the 53 
fisherman were sent to jail with a case, he said.

The government has imposed a 22-day ban on catching, selling, storing and 
transporting Hilsha to ensure safe spawning of the Mother Hilsha during its 
peak breeding period.

The seized nets were destroyed and the seized Hilsha has been distributed to 
the orphanages and poor people in the area.