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Hilsa netting rampant

Manikganj, Munshiganj fishermen defy ban in Padma, Meghna and Jamuna

Star Country Desk
Catching of hilsa fish has continued in different areas of the Jamuna, Padma and Meghna rivers in Manikganj and Munshiganj during the ongoing government ban from October 7 to 28, meant for helping safe breeding of the popular fish.
A good number of fishermen are catching hilsa fish in the Padma and Jamuna rivers in Manikganj as some local influential people are allegedly giving them support in exchange of huge money, reports our Manikganj correspondent Zahangir Shah.
Mostly the fishermen in the char areas in the three upazilas are catching hilsa from the river areas stretching about 60 kilometres along Daulatpur, Shivalaya and Hari rampur upazilas of Manikganj.
According to locals, 500 to 600 boats are being used to net hilsa in those areas with the support of local influential political leaders and public representatives.
During an investigation by this correspondent, locals said an influential leader of Shibalaya upazila Awami League gave 'permission' to 20 fishermen to catch hilsa in exchange ofTk 4 lakh five days ago.
As per the arrangement, the hilsa catchers will be warned on mobile phones when the leader receives the news of the operation by any mobile court.
Besides, the fishermen were assured of getting relieved by giving small amounts as fine.
Linder a 'contact' between 30 fishermen of Madhyanagar area and an influential Jubo League leader of Shivalaya upazila, every boat will give Tk 1,000 per day to the leader.
The hilsa catchers with the help of three public representatives of Bachamara, Baghutia and Charakatari unions of Daulatpur upazila are catching hilsa, in exchange of money.
There is an widely discussed allegation that an fisheries officer has taken huge amount of money from the fishermen in Charakatari union with the assurance of allowing hilsa catching.
Locals told this correspondent that the fishermen began to catch fishes from the third day (October 9) of the ban.
The buyers take the fish to different places in bags and cartons.
Each one-kg hilsa is being sold atTk300.
However, the alleged patrons of the illegal hilsa catching refuted the complaints brought against them.
General Secretary of Shivalaya Upazila Awami League Abdul Quddus Khan said that they are helping in government work.
"During the operation, about 50 boats were destroyed and two lakh cubic metres of nets were burnt on Friday. Nearly 500 kg of
hilsa was seized in last two days," Shivalaya Upazila Fisheries Officer Rafiqul Alam said.
Shivalaya Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mehedi Hasan said 38 fishermen were punished for catching hilsa.
"We are continuously running operation to stop hilsa fishing, although there are not adequate manpower and vessels to take effective steps to stop hilsa fishing in the vast areas of the rivers in three upazilas," said District Fisheries Officer Dr Md Muniruzzaman.
Our Munshiganj Correspondent Farhana Mirza adds: Frequent operations by mobile courts seem futile to stop illegal catching of hilsa in the Padma and Meghna rivers flowing by the district as a large number of fishermen have continued the callous act during the ongoing ban period.
"On Friday, we conducted a massive drive in remote Bakchar area of Sadar upazila with the help of police and Ansar. There we seized one lakh metres of banned current nets and destroyed it later," said Sadar Upazila Fisheries Officer Md Nasir Uddin.
"The government has allocated rice for 3,671 hilsa fishermen in the district to help them during the ban on catching hilsa. Each fisherman will get 20 kg of rice. We have also decided that all the local fishing boats will be kept under the custody of Adhara Union Parishad Chairman Kabir Master from today [Saturday], Those will be returned to the fishermen when the ban period ends," he said.