The Fisheries and Livestock Ministry issued the ban from October 12. During the period, a massive combined operation was carried out at all the fisheries ghats, warehouses, hat-bazars and chain-shops across the country. The fisheries department, navy, air force, coast guard, police, river police, RAB, BGB, district and upazila administrations including the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry enforced the ban. The ban had been observed successfully since October 12, according to sources. In Barisal, during the restrictive period, 942 mobile courts operated, seized 3949 Kg of fish, destroyed 29.27 lakh meters of net, filed 357 cases, jailed 273 fishermen and fined Tk12.07 lakh for violating the ban. Azizul Huq, assistant director at Barisal Fishery Department disclosed the statistics. Bazlur Rashid, divisional officer and deputy director of the department, claimed the imposed ban against netting, marketing, and transportation of the fish was implemented successfully across Barisal. In Chandpur, a mobile court fined four minor boys Tk2,000 each for catching the fish at Rajarajeshwar of Sadar upazila in the Padma River defying the ban on October 27. A mobile court led by executive magistrate Farjana Alam arrested the four minors, aged between 12 and 14 years. The minors were fishing in the Padma river around 2pm and fined Tk 2,000 each. Later, the mobile court released the boys on bond under the custody of Rajarajeshwar union council Chairman Hazrat Ali. A massive awareness campaign to protect pregnant Ilish had been undertaken in Haimchar upazila of the district in an area stretching 100 kilometres in the Meghna River. In Madaripur, a mobile court sentenced nine fishermen to seven days in jail for for fishing in the Padma River in defiance of the ban. A mobile court team led by Shibchar upazila Executive Magistrate Mohammad Shafikul Islam conducted a drive at different points of the Padma River and arrested the fishermen while they were fishing, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shibchar police station Md Zakir Hossain. In Munshiganj, a mobile court arrested 16 fishermen along with 50kg mother Ilish and convicted 14 to one-month jail and fined two others Tk5,000 each for catching mother hilsa illegally from the Padma River at Shimulia ghat under Louhajang upazila. Sub-Inspector (SI) of Mawa river police camp Nazmul Islam said, law enforcers raided the area from Monday morning till 1pm and arrested the fishermen with the hilsa. Later, a mobile court led by Executive Magistrate and Louhajang Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Khalequzzaman announced the verdict against the fishermen. In Barguna, a mobile court jailed 12 fishermen to one month in prison for defying the ban. The convicts were Al Amin Matubbar, 26, Malek Moktar, 50, Asadul Nazir, 47, Firoz Hawlader, 45, Ishaque Majhi, 27, Nuru Mia, 49, Abu Bakar Hawlader, 40, Russel, 19, Zakir Musulli, 30, Rubel Sikder alias Ruhul Amin, 20. Md Romzan Mia, sub-inspector of Charduyani police camp, said: A mobile court led by Md Robiul Islam,Patharghata UNO, conducted drives from Wednesday early hours to Wednesday noon at several points in Baleshwar River and caught 12 fishermen while they were catching Ilish. According to the sources from the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, the ban was imposed in Chandpur, Lakshmipur, Noakhali, Feni, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna, Pirojpur, Jhalakati, Bagerhat, Shariatpur, Brahmanbaria, Dhaka, Madaripur, Faridpur, Rajbari, Jamalpur, Narayanganj, Narshingdi, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Khulna, Kushtia and Rajshahi districts.
2016 Dhaka Tribune.