United News of Bangladesh

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.

A Bagerhat court on Saturday sent 13  Indian fishermen to jail in a case filed against them for intruding into Bangladeshi waters that are part of its Exclusive Economic Zone, and carrying on for commercial fishing. The court of Bagerhat Judicial Magistrate Shawon Hossain gave the  order after the accused were produced before it on Saturday afternoon. Bagerhat court inspector Dilip Kumar Sarkar confirmed the development to UNB. Read: 13 more Indian fishermen held from Bay of Bengal Earlier on Thursday, a  patrol vessel of Coast Guard spotted foreign trawler 'Pita Matar Ashirbad': illegally fishing within Bangladesh's maritime boundary. Sensing their presence, the fishermen tried to flee but the CG detained them along with the trawler, just 17 nautical miles southwest of Mongla Fairway Buoy. The seized trawler and the detainees were handed over to Mongla Police Station, said Bangladesh Coast Guard Media Officer Lt Commander Amirul Haque. When contacted, the OC of Mongla (OC)  police station Monirul Islam said a case was filed against the 13 Indian fishermen on behalf of the Coast Guard. Read: 13 Indian fishermen detained from Bay An almost identical incident occurred last month, when the Coast Guard's inshore patrol vessel 'Sonar Bangla' spotted a foreign trawler, this time the 'Shornotara' illegally fishing in Bangladeshi waters and  detained 13 Indian fishermen. A case was filed against them and  the court of Bagerhat Chief Judicial Magistrate sent 11 of them to jail, while two were sent  to Jessore Juvenile Correctional Institution as they were minors.

More than 5,000 fishermen were jailed and illegal nets worth Tk243 crore were seized during the 22-day Hilsa fishing ban.

Twelve fishermen were jailed for various terms in Chandpur on Tuesday for catching hilsa flouting the ongoing fishing ban.

A mobile court on Friday sentenced 13 fishermen to different jail terms for catching hilsa defying the ongoing fishing ban in Belkuchi upazila of Sirajganj.

A mobile court on Saturday sentenced 45 fishermen to different jail terms for catching coveted  hilsa defying a ban in Belkuchi upazila of Sirajganj district.

Separate mobile courts on Friday sentenced 19 fishermen to different jail terms on charge of catching hilsa defying fishing ban in Sadar and Chauhali upazilas of Sirajganj district.

Mobile courts conducted to preserve Hilsa seized current nets worth Tk 9 crore and finned 178 fishermen in the last three days until Saturday.

Faridpur, Oct 22 (UNB) – District administration in separate drives from Monday night till Tuesday morning jailed nine fishermen for catching hilsa from the  Padma and the Arial Khan rivers defying a government ban and destroyed 20,000 meters current nets.

Dhaka, Oct 12 (UNB) – Mobile courts jailed 43 fishermen in Bhola, Manikganj and Munshiganj on Saturday for catching Hilsa defying a government ban.