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Sunday | October 11, 2026 | Dhaka

Boat rally held to promote Hilsa protection

 Chandpur Correspondent
 Published: 12:01 AM, 10 October 2026

A boat rally was held on the Meghna River near Chandpur town on Thursday to raise public awareness about the 22-day government ban on catching hilsa and other fish in the sanctuary areas of the Meghna and Padma rivers.

The ban, which began on October 8 and will continue until October 29, aims to ensure the safe breeding of mother hilsa in the freshwater areas of the rivers.

The fishing ban covers a 70-kilometre sanctuary stretch from Shatnol in Matlab Uttar up to Char Bhoirobi in Haimchar upazila, passing through Chandpur Sadar Upazila.

The district unit of the Jatiyatabadi Matsyajibi Dal, an affiliate of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), organised the colourful boat rally. The participating boats travelled along different parts of the riverbanks, passing local markets and trading centres in Chandpur Sadar.

District Jatiyatabadi Matsyajibi Dal President Mostafa Kamal, General Secretary Mizanur Rahman, and Chandpur Municipality unit President Amin Hossain Jilan and Secretary Kamal Hossain, among others, addressed people through loudspeakers during the rally.

They also called on everyone to cooperate with the government initiative to ensure an increased supply of hilsa in the coming years.

Meanwhile, the government has allocated 25 kilogrammes of rice to each registered fisherman to support those who will remain without work during the ban. According to the District Fisheries Office, more than 41,390 registered fishermen are covered by the assistance programme.

However, several affected fishermen have urged the government to provide cash assistance alongside rice to help them meet their families’ needs during the 22-day period without income.

Talking to this correspondent, fishermen Sakib Majhi, Omar Ali and Abdur Rahim, along with several others, said rice alone would not be enough to support their families during the fishing ban. They called for additional financial assistance to help them overcome the difficult period.

Meanwhile, district task force teams, River Police, Coast Guard personnel and mobile courts are conducting joint drives along the river to prevent the catching of mother hilsa during both day and night.