A mobile court has sentenced 14 fishermen to six days' simple imprisonment each for catching hilsa in the sanctuary area of the Padma and Meghna rivers in Chandpur in defiance of the ban. One fisherman was fined Tk 2,000, and seven teenagers were released on bond because they are minors.

The mobile court was conducted at the Coast Guard's Chandpur station on Tuesday (29 October) afternoon by Md Asaduzzaman Sarkar, assistant commissioner and executive magistrate at the deputy commissioner's office.

Chandpur Sadar upazila assistant fisheries officer Md Mizanur Rahman confirmed the matter.

Those sentenced are Amir Hossain Gazi, Harun Dhali, Md Jahangir, Riad Rarhi, Ramjan Bepari, Hridoy Molla, Ripon Khan, Md Faisal, Joni Bepari, Al-Amin Molla, Badsha Howlader, Kiron Khan, Omar Fatal Rarhi and Nazmul Hasan. Md Ibrahim was fined Tk 2,000.

The minors released on bond are Md Sohel, Md Habib, Shamim, Kajol, Parvez, Omar and Md Hasib. The detained fishermen are from Tilabari, Bahariya and Gobindia villages in the town.

Assistant fisheries officer Md Mizanur Rahman said the district and upazila task force ran the operation in the sanctuary area from 8pm on Monday (28 October) to 8am on Tuesday (29 October). During it, 22 fishermen were caught red-handed catching hilsa, and 10,000 metres of current net and 3 kg of hilsa were seized. The current nets were burned at the Coast Guard's Chandpur station, and the hilsa distributed among the destitute.

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