Forest Department officials have detained 22 fishermen from the Satkhira Range of the Sundarbans for catching banned Shapla Pata fish in a protected sanctuary area.
Authorities also seized around 10 maunds, or 410 kilogrammes, of the prohibited fish along with two trawlers and fishing equipment.
Officials conducted the drive on Friday evening in the Mandarbaria sanctuary area of the Sundarbans following a tip-off that several fishermen were illegally fishing without permission.
They returned to the mainland with the detainees on Saturday morning.
Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) for the Satkhira Range, Mashiur Rahman, confirmed the incident. He said forest officials recovered ropes, hooks, ice boxes and other fishing gear from the two trawlers during the drive.
The detained fishermen include Jamal Howlader, 32, Md Kalu, 48, Farhad, 30, Md Yasin Khan, 40, Dulal Gazi, 30, Md Hanif Howlader, 40, Rajib Howlader, Ibrahim, 35, Md Somed, 45, Md Russell, 30, Ismail, 35, Md Sharif Mia, 48, Md Shafiqul Khan, 20, and others, making a total of 22. They hail from different areas of Patuakhali and Bagerhat districts.
Forest officials have filed a case against the detainees under the Forest Act and sent them to court, the ACF added.
