The Bangladesh Air Force is flying special surveillance missions over the country's important rivers and coastal areas as part of the Mother Hilsa Conservation Campaign 2025, aimed at making conservation work a success during the hilsa breeding season.

The Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) gave the information in a press release on the night of Sunday, 12 October.

According to ISPR, the special campaign, run by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock under "In Aid to Civil Power", began on 4 October and will continue until 25 October. As part of it, an Air Force helicopter carried out aerial surveillance at 6pm on Sunday to stop illegal fishing on the rivers of Munshiganj, Madaripur and Shariatpur districts.

The helicopter patrolled rivers in Munshiganj Sadar, Louhajang, Shibchar, Kalkini, Zajira, Naria and Bhedarganj upazilas and completed its mission successfully.

At the same time, another Air Force helicopter flew a surveillance mission against illegal fishing over the Sundarbans and the south-western coast of Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira districts, from Sharankhola to Shyamnagar.

ISPR said the helicopters are fitted with high-powered searchlights (Night Sun), which improve visibility in the dark and help crews watch fishing boats. Air Force crews on the missions use night vision goggles (NVG), allowing effective surveillance even in complete darkness.

The release said the missions are run with direct air-to-ground communication, keeping coordination unbroken with law enforcement agencies in the field and with fisheries ministry officials. Beyond these areas, the Air Force will fly similar surveillance missions over Kutubdia, Barishal and Bhola, it added.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.