A mobile court has sentenced 20 fishermen to different terms of imprisonment for catching hilsa in the Padma-Meghna sanctuary in Chandpur, defying a fishing ban.

Of them, 13 fishermen were given 10 days in prison each, while the remaining seven received 15 days' imprisonment each. Each fisherman was also fined Tk 1,000, bringing the total fine to Tk 20,000.

The fishermen are residents of different villages in Laxmipur Model union under Chandpur Sadar upazila.

Md Mizanur Rahman, assistant fisheries officer of Sadar upazila, told UNB that a district task force, led by Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Md. Najmul Huda, conducted the drive from 4:00pm to 9:00pm on Thursday.

During the drive, the team detained 20 fishermen and seized 30 kg of hilsa, 35,000 metres of illegal monofilament fishing nets (locally known as current nets), and three engine-run fishing boats.

The seized hilsa were distributed among an orphanage and needy people on Friday morning, while the boats were handed over to the Bangladesh Coast Guard for safekeeping.

The seized fishing nets were burnt in the presence of the executive magistrate.

A 22-day fishing ban in a 70-kilometre sanctuary along the Padma-Meghna rivers in Chandpur began on October 8 and will remain in force until midnight on October 29.

During the ban, catching, buying, selling, storing and transporting all types of fish, including hilsa, in the designated rivers are prohibited.

District administration officials said violators will face imprisonment and fines under the law.