Shipping Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain. File Photo

DHAKA, Oct 29, 2025 (BSS) - Shipping Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain today said the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock will work jointly to protect the country's waterways and fish resources. 

"The ministry would extend all-out cooperation in the production, conservation, and management of Hilsa which is the country's national asset and a key export commodity," he said.

The adviser made the remarks while chairing a meeting on the protection of waterways and aquatic resources at the Ministry of Shipping at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Fisheries and Livestock Affairs Adviser Farida Akhter attended the meeting.

He said, "As per the requirements of the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) will carry out dredging activities on a priority basis in the breeding and migration zones of Hilsa." 

Sakhawat also requested that the Fisheries Ministry inform the Shipping Ministry in advance about the seasonal ban periods on Hilsa and juvenile Hilsa (jatka) fishing so that dredging operations can be suspended during those times.

Fisheries Adviser Farida Akhter stressed that maintaining navigability in rivers is essential for increasing fish breeding and production. She noted siltation and river pollution disrupt natural breeding cycles and called for close coordination among the ministries of Shipping, Fisheries and Livestock, and Water Resources to resolve these challenges.

The meeting decided that officials of both ministries will jointly conduct surveys to preserve the natural flow of rivers and protect fish resources. It also discussed ensuring fair wages and other benefits for temporary workers engaged in the fisheries sector.

Shipping Ministry Secretary (in charge) Delowara Begum, senior officials from the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry and the Ministry of Labour and Employment, along with the chairmen of BIWTA and BIWTC, the Director General of the Department of Shipping, and heads of various departments under the Fisheries Ministry, were present.