15 fishermen jailed, fined for defying Hilsa ban

At least 15 fishermen were fined and sentenced for several jail terms today by Mobile courts of Ramgati upazila of Lakshmipur and Patharghata upazila of Barguna for catching Hilsa defying a government ban.

In Lakshmipur, a mobile court awarded nine fishermen one month jails for each at Ramgati upazila for catching Hilsa in Meghna River.

Md Kamal Uddin, assistant officer of local Fisheries Department said police, Fisheries Department and Coast Guard conducted a drive at Char Gajaria area of the upazila led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and executive Magistrate Ajgar Ali and arrested the fishermen at noon.

The identities of the convicts could not be known immediately.

They also seized 20,000 meters current net (fishing net) and a fishing boat.

In Barguna, A mobile court here on Sunday sentenced five fishermen to two years' imprisonment and fined another TK 5,000 for catching Hilsa defying government ban.

The convicted fishermen are Kayum, 13, Mahbub, 18, Afjal, 80, Sohel, 18, Abu Hanif and Salam, 46.

A joint team of Coast Guard and the Department of Fisheries conducted several drives in Bishkhali river estuary of the Bay of Bengal early in the morning and arrested six fishermen and seized three fishing boats.

Later, the mobile court sentenced five of them to two years imprisonment and fined another Tk 5,000, said Shah Md Kamrul Huda, executive magistrate and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Patharghata upazila.

The government has imposed a 22-day ban on catching, selling, transportation and hoarding of Hilsa from 1 October to 22 October.