Law enforcers seized over 1,250 kilogrammes of hilsa, both fry and adult, in Chandpur, distributed those among orphans and the poor and arrested four persons yesterday, the third day of a jatka (hilsa fry) conservation week.

A programme in the district marking the week will be organised today, scheduled to be attended by the fisheries and livestock minister and secretary, department of fisheries director general and other top officials, reports a correspondent.

Fishing jatka, less than around 23 centimetres or nine inches, is banned for eight months, from November 1 to June 30, coming

into effect for the last couple of years to boost production of Bangladesh's national fish.

But except the conservation week, markets are generally flooded with jatka due to poor law enforcement.

Around 250 kilogrammes of yesterday's seizure was made from a launch, MV Zahid, in the Meghna river by Bangladesh Coast Guard acting on a tip-off. Some other fish species were auctioned off.

The remaining, caught from Haimchar area, was seized from a covered van heading towards Dhaka after locals stopped it at Alonia village and informed police. The arrestees are Kausar, the driver, Anawar, Zahangir and Babul.