BNP wants to go to power in an unconstitutional way, said Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim on Sunday. “The current government will hand over power to the elected government, and it is a constitutional process, but BNP and its associate bodies deny the process, which means they do not follow the path of the constitution. Whatever they say is contradictory to the constitution,” he said The minister said this while speaking at a programme held at Jatiya Press Club in the city. If the BNP does something unconstitutional, according to the constitution of the country, it is called treason, and according to article 7(a) of the constitution, their actions are tantamount to treason, he said. Read more: BNP MPs resigned to impede democracy: Hasan Mahmud “If they fail to follow the right path of politics they will not be found with a microscope,” said Rezaul. “If the BNP continues their anti-public activities they will face an existential crisis.” Read more: 5 BNP MPs submit resignation to JS Speaker

The government has ensured alternative jobs and food support for fishermen during the period when hilsa catching remains banned, said Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim on Monday. He was speaking at a workshop at a hotel in the city. He defended the ban during hilsa breeding period as logical, scientific and realistic. He said besides providing support under VGF programme the government also mulls providing rickshaw, van, livestock and poultry to the fishers affected due to the ban. Rezaul said the scientific production of hilsa can be raised up to 8.5 metric tonnes a year due to a number of measures taken by the government.  Rezaul also stressed the need for developing a sanctuary for hilsa breeding as river pollution may affect the production. READ: Covid positive former fisheries minister Narayan Chandra hospitalised Talking about the Fisheries Act, the minister said the government has enacted the law so no one from the neighbouring countries can catch fish in Bangladesh waters. A proposal was also made to declare 50 km area of Baleshwar River and its estuary and 348 square Km area as breeding zone for hilsa and it will be the fifth breeding zone in the country. The area includes Bagi port of Sharankhola upazila of Bagerhat district to Pakkhir Char point and Sapleza of Mathbaria upazila in Pirojpur to Lebue Bagan of Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali district. The breeding zone will help to create a sanctuary as well as boost hilsa production in the country, he added. READ: Fisheries Minister warns against corruption amid Covid-19 pandemic High officials of the ministry, university teachers, deputy commissioner concerned, representatives of fishermen were present at the event.

A record surge in fresh Covid-19 infection in the country has forced the authorities concerned to close Bangladesh National Zoo in the capital’s Mirpur and Rangpur Zoo on Friday. They will remain closed for visitors until further order, according to a decision taken by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. Fisheries Minister SM Rezaul Karim sought cooperation from all concerned parties in this regard, said a handout of his ministry. "We’ve decided to keep the National Zoo and Rangpur Zoo, which are under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, closed from today (Friday, April 2) until further notice so that the coronavirus infection does not increase due to the gatherings of visitors," he said. Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 6,000+ cases for 2nd straight day The government is taking all possible steps to prevent the spread of the virus, said the Minister. Bangladesh recorded more than 6,000 new coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day on Friday. It was the fourth time in five days that the country reported its highest daily case count. The health authorities confirmed 6,830 new infections in the afternoon. The infection rate rose to 23.28 percent from 22.94 on Thursday when the country recorded 6,469 cases, the highest since the beginning of the virus outbreak in the country in March last year. Noting that the Prime Minister's Office has already issued an 18-point directive, Minister Karim urged the people to follow the directives of the government. Also read: Fighting the Second Wave: Govt seeks stricter implementation of PMO directives On March 20, 2020 the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock closed down the National Zoo and Rangpur Zoo for the first time amid the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent transmission of the virus. Later, the National Zoo was reopened for the visitors on some conditions on November 1, 2020 considering the entertainment issue, physical and mental well-being of the Dhaka city dwellers as well as the government’s revenue loss, said the handout. The PMO on March 29 issued the 18-point directives for the next two weeks in an effort to restrict the spread of coronavirus in the country. Also read: National Zoo to reopen from Nov 1 The directives mostly are related to restriction on public gatherings, using masks, ensuring 14-day quarantine rule and maintaining other Covid-19 health protocols. All the ministries, divisions, departments and agencies concerned were asked to take necessary measures to implement the directives.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim on Tuesday strictly warned against any kind of corruption in the fisheries and livestock sector amid the coronavirus pandemic.