JESSORE. July 6: A total number of 3.400 distressed fishermen of five districts got permanent possession of 22 government owned water bodies in a workshop held here on July

They received deeds of their legal rights at a workshop arranged jointly by the Department of Fisheries (DOF). DANIDA and BRAC at the local office of a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) Banchita Shikha here.

The fishermen of Jessore. Jhenidah. Kushtia. Chuadanga and Faridpur got the ownership of khas derelict beets. The Os-bow Lake Project II. project office of Beet Baor Fisheries Development and Management Project, Jessore took the initiative of holding the workshop.

The representatives of fishermen received the deeds from the Deputy Commissioner of Jessore. Abdul Malek Mia. He attended the workshop as the chief guest.

Presided over by Project Director (PD) Beet Baor Fisheries Development and Management Project. Jessore. M A Satter a good number of resource personnel participated in the workshop.

Dr Hans AJ Middendrop. Chief Technial Advisor (CTA),

Alam, Regional Manager, BRAC. District Fisheries Officer (DFO) Abdus Satter. Assistant Director. Beet Baor Management Project, Wallur Rahman. District Cooperative Officer. Jessore, Anjan Kumar Sirkar, Deputy Director. Social Welfare Department. Jessore, Nurul Islam Khan, Barrister Akhter Imam of the Supreme Court. Dhaka, TNO Sadar. Jessore and all chairmen and secretaries of fishermen's cooperative societies attended the workshop.

Barrister Akhter Imam discussed on various points regarding the legal aspect and validity of the deed in the court of law.

The project was the outcome of agreement of donor agencies including DANIDA with Bangladesh Government held in 1989. The work of this project began from 1990. The aims of the project was to help the distressed fishermen.

It was also disclosed in the workshop that right of ownership of these water bodies has been transferred to the fishermen by deed. Originally these khas beets belonged to the Land Ministry.

The Fisheries Ministry received the transfer order of ownership of these water bodies from the Land Ministry, on behalf of the fishermen for handing over those formally.

It is a milestone in the long struggle of professional fisher-

men to establish their rights in khas waterbodies.

It was learnt from reliable sources that out of 22 water bodies nine were from Jessore. four from Chuadanga. one from Kushtia two from Faridpur and six from Jhenidah.

According to detailed report, nine water bodies of Jessore are: Hamidpur Baor. Bakuhara Baor. Koikhali Baor. Kon-nadaha Baor. Bahadurpur Baor. Bakra Baor. Khedapara Baor. Khatura Baor and Harihama-gar Boar, while the waterbodies of Chuadanga are: Marupadah Baor. Benipur Baor. Vender-doha Baor and Ujialpur Baor. the khas water body of Kushtia is: Kaliganga Baor. water bodies of Faridpur are: Choiterkol Baor and Hariharnagar Baor and those of Jhenaldah are Nasti Baor. Shaster Baor. Pura-Sara Baor. Sarjad Baor.

ukanna Baor and Kaitpara Baor.