Restrictions on Hilsa Fishing: Mobile court comes under attack

A mobile court came under attack by freshmen yesterday in Barishal while conducting drives to enforce the government's ban on hilsa fishing.

In another development, mobile courts in Munshiganj and Shariatpur sentenced 52 fishermen to jail for different terms for catching the fish during the 22-day ban.

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The government imposed the ban from October 4 on catching, selling, hoarding, and transporting hilsa to allow hilsa breeding.

In Barishal, a mobile court led by Mehendiganj upazila nirbahi officer went to the Gazaria river to enforce the ban yesterday morning.

"We found many fishermen continuing hilsa fishing defying the ban. Our presence made them furious," said UNO Shahadat Hossain Masud.

"When our speedboat reached Sikder Bari Ghat area, the fishermen hit our speedboat by another fishing boat around 10:00am," he added.

Our speedboat partially sank and two Ansar members were injured, said Masud, adding that even the shotgun of an Ansar member drowned in the river.

Another nearby boat rushed to spot and rescued the UNO and the Ansar members. Later, the fire service members started searching for the shotgun, the UNO said.

Contacted, Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Mehendiganj Police Station, said the process of filing a case against the attackers was underway.

In Shariatpur, a mobile court led by Raffey Mohammad Chhrha, executive magistrate and assistant commissioner (land) of Zajira upazila, sent 28 fishermen to jail for 21 days each for catching hilsa in the Padma after raiding different points in the upazila yesterday morning.

The drive began around 5:00am and continued for over three hours, said Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Zajira Police Station.

Some fishermen have kept fishing at night to dodge the eyes of law enforcers, said the OC.

"We formed the mobile court in coordination of the district administration, fisheries department, police and Rab. Then, we conducted drives at different points in Palerchar, Baburchar, Kunderchar and Chirachar areas," said the executive magistrate.

The mobile court also seized around 30,000 metres of banned current net, 20kg hilsa and a trawler, he added.

A mobile court in Munshiganj sent 23 fishermen to jail for 15 days each and another one for 10 days for hilsa fishing in the Padma.

Mahmud Ashik Kabir, assistant commissioner (land) and executive magistrate, led the mobile court in Louhajang upazila.

[Our Barishal, Shariatpur and Munshiganj correspondents contributed to this report.]