A mobile court has taken action against 22 fishermen for catching hilsa in the Padma and Meghna rivers in Chandpur in violation of the government-imposed ban to protect mother hilsa during the breeding season.
The court sentenced the fishermen to 12 days in jail each and fined them Tk200 each.
During the operation, authorities seized 25,000 metres of banned current nets, six fishing boats and 5kg of hilsa.
The office of the Sadar Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer confirmed the information on Monday morning.
Sadar Upazila Assistant Fisheries Officer Mizanur Rahman said a drive was conducted from 4pm to 10pm on Sunday under the supervision of the district and upazila senior fisheries officers to protect mother hilsa during the breeding season.
The drive covered Ananda Bazar, Lalpur, Kachikata, Chirachar, Harisabha, Ranagowal, Dokanghar and Bohoria areas. Authorities detained 18 fishermen from Chirachar and six from Dokanghar.
At midnight, Executive Magistrates Nahid Iqbal, Md Rahmat Ullah and Tanvir Rabbi conducted a mobile court at the Coast Guard Chandpur Station.
Of the 24 detained fishermen, 22 were sentenced to 12 days in jail and fined Tk200 each. The remaining two were released after signing undertakings as they were minors.
Mizanur added that the seized nets were burnt and destroyed in the presence of an executive magistrate.
The seized hilsa was distributed to an orphanage, while the six fishing boats remain in coast guard custody.
