In an operation to protect mother hilsa fish in the Padma River of Goalanda, Rajbari district, law enforcement authorities have arrested four individuals along with a foreign pistol and a single-barrel shotgun. The operation took place on Friday evening near Antarmor of the Devgram Union.
The arrested individuals are Jibon Munshi (20) and Nazir Uddin Sheikh (19), both from Kanchorand village in Barhat Union, Rajbari Sadar; Khairul Mollah (23) from Dhalarchar village in Aminpur, Pabna; and trawler driver Rashid Sardar (55). They were attempting to cross the Padma River towards Pabna in their trawler.
The operation was led by Jyoti Bikash Chandra, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and head of the Upazila Task Force Committee. Accompanying him were Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Md. Shafiqul Islam, military personnel from the Rajbari camp, Daulatdia river police, and members of the fisheries department. During the operation, approximately 110,000 meters of illegal fishing nets were seized, along with five fishermen and 20 kilograms of hilsa fish.
UNO Jyoti Bikash Chandra stated that the government has imposed a ban on hilsa fishing from October 13 to November 3 to ensure uninterrupted breeding of the fish. Fishing, harvesting, transporting, stocking, marketing, purchasing, and selling of hilsa during this period is strictly prohibited and punishable by law. To enforce this ban, a coordinated operation was conducted by the Upazila Task Force Committee in the Padma River.
Regarding the operation, the UNO mentioned that around 5 PM, several individuals were spotted crossing the river in a trawler near Antarmor. The joint forces conducted a search to determine if hilsa was being smuggled. During the search, a black school bag was discovered, containing a foreign automatic pistol and a single-barrel shotgun. Consequently, the four individuals, including the trawler driver, were arrested for possessing illegal firearms.
A case has been filed against the four under the Arms Act, and they are set to be presented in court on Saturday. According to preliminary interrogations by the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Goalanda Ghat Police Station, Mohammad Rakibul Islam, the arrested individuals were transporting the firearms to Kashinathpur in Pabna.
Source: Prothom Alo
