At least 24 fishermen were fined and sentenced to several jail terms on Sunday in Laxmipur and Bhola upazilas for netting hilsa from Meghna River defying the government ban.
In Laxmipur, each of 14 fishermen was awarded one-month jail term each while the mobile court seized two fishing boats and 20,000 meters of current net (fishing net).
The fishermen were held during drives of a mobile court operated by Executive Magistrate and Ramgati Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Rafikul Haque at different parts of the Meghna River.
In Bhola, nine fishermen were jailed for one year each and another fisherman was fined Tk 5000.
Fisheries department officer of sadar upazila Md Asaduzzaman said three fishermen were held from Meghna River in the morning and the rest were held from Char Fasson upazila in separate drives.
Executive Magistrate andsadarUpazila Nirbahi Officer Md Kamal Hossain conducted the mobile court.
A 22-day ban on catching, selling and transporting hilsa in a 7,000-km breeding ground has been enforced from Sunday to ensure the safe spawning of this popular fish during its peak breeding period.
The ban came into effect at 2 am on Sunday and will last till October 28 as these 22 days is the peak period for motherhilsasto release eggs.
