Eight members of the fisheries department were injured in the early hours of Wednesday when they were attacked by a group during a hilsa conservation drive near Babur Char on the Padma River in Jazira upazila.
The injured officials include Field Assistant Riad (28), Driver Md. Sagar (30), speedboat operator Sekendar Hossain (29), and team members Habib (22), Zillur Rahman (45), Mushfiqur Rahman (27), Jamil Hossain (28), and Sekandar Hossain (35).
According to Jazira upazila Fisheries Officer Md. Rezaul Sharif, department personnel had deployed multiple speedboats in key areas such as Sidarchar, Babur Char, and Charatra to monitor and protect the seasonal hilsa population. Around dawn, a group of attackers, arriving on 18 to 20 engine boats, targeted two of the department's speedboats near Babur Char, swiftly initiating a violent assault.
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Nearby fisheries personnel, led by Naria upazila Fisheries Officer Zakir Hossain, arrived in time to rescue the injured and transported them to Jazira Upazila Health Complex. Due to the critical condition of two officials, they were later referred to Dhaka for specialized medical treatment.
District Fisheries Officer Hadiuzzaman said they have reported the attack to senior fisheries officials and will notify the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police. An investigation is underway, and appropriate actions will follow, he said.