Farida Akhter, adviser to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, has visited the hilsa sanctuary area. On Tuesday (22 October) morning she toured the Padma-Meghna sanctuary in Chandpur. She is then to inspect at first hand the hilsa sanctuaries on the Padma and Meghna in the relevant upazilas of Shariatpur, Barishal and Bhola districts, along with the "mother hilsa conservation drive".

No information about the adviser's visit was available from the local administration, river police, fisheries department or law enforcement agencies.

The fisheries department said the main aim of the drive is to protect mother hilsa and supervise activities in the sanctuary areas. By ensuring mother hilsa can breed, the initiative will play an important role in increasing the country's fish resources.

Present were Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock joint secretaries Dr Abu Naeem Muhammad Abdus Sabur and Md Hemayet Hossain, the adviser's assistant private secretary Mohammad Ali Akbar, information and public relations officer Md Mamun Hasan, district fisheries officer Golam Mehedi Hasan, Chandpur Sadar upazila assistant commissioner (land) Md Al Imran Khan, Coast Guard station commander M Fazlul Haque, river police assistant superintendent Mohammad Imtiaz Ahmed, and officials of Chandpur's fisheries department, river police and coast guard.

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