The 22-day drive to protect mother hilsa on the Padma and Meghna in Chandpur begins from midnight today, Saturday (12 October). To mark it, an awareness meeting and rally were held in the afternoon at the Molehead at Boro Station in the town, where three rivers meet.

Deputy commissioner Mohammad Mohsin Uddin said hilsa fishing would stay closed for 22 days, and action would be taken if any government official or employee illegally helped fishers during that time.

Every year, catching all fish including hilsa is stopped for 22 days in a 70 km area within the Padma-Meghna river boundary so that mother hilsa can spawn. The ban takes effect after 12 midnight tonight and runs until 3 November. Anyone who fishes in breach of the law faces jail and fines.

Deputy commissioner Mohammad Mohsin Uddin said: "We are hopeful fishers will not go on the river during the ban, because they have given us their word that they will not go fishing for 22 days. Even so, if any fisher wrongly goes on the river, we will take action against them. Ten to 15 speedboats will be ready every day, and anyone who goes out will be caught."

He added that the drive would be very strict this year. Alongside the police and Coast Guard, the army, RAB, Ansar and students of the student movement will take part, as will volunteer teams and members of the Red Crescent Society. "I believe government officials and employees will follow the instructions to the letter. I do not expect them to help fishers illegally. Even so, if any government official or employee is involved, action will be taken against them," he said.

The awareness meeting was also addressed by superintendent of police Muhammad Abdur Rakib, Chandpur region river police superintendent Syed Moshfiqur Rahman, hilsa development project director Molla Emdadullah, Chandpur Sadar upazila nirbahi officer Shakhawat Jamil Saikat, chief scientific officer Dr Md Amirul Islam, Coast Guard station commander Sub Lieutenant M Fazlul Haque and district fisheries officer Golam Mehedi Hasan.

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