SHARIATPUR, Oct 25, 2021 (BSS) - Mobile court in separate drives

arrested 59 fishermen along with current net and Hilsha in the last 24 hours
from the rivers Padma and Meghna in the district.

     Later, the mobile court sentenced them to different terms of
imprisonment for defying the government's ongoing 22-day ban on Hilsha
fishing.

     A total of 59 fishermen were arrested with 65 kgs of mother Hilsha and
2.882 lakh meters of banned current nets during the drives, said District
Fisheries Officer Pranab Kumar Karmakar.

     The mobile court sentenced 53 fishermen to different terms of jail and
fined six fishermen Taka five thousand each, he said.

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

     The government has imposed a 22-day ban starting from October 4 on
catching, selling, storing and transporting Hilsha, to ensure safe spawning
of the Mother Hilsha, during its peak breeding period.