Khulna: The government has announced a plan to distribute 73.40 tonnes of Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) rice among 2,936 registered fishermen in Khulna to support them during the 22-day hilsa fishing ban period.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the government previously declared a ban on catching, selling, transporting, and hoarding hilsa to boost its production and protect mother hilsa during the breeding season. This ban, which started at 12:01 am on a recent Saturday, is scheduled to be lifted on October 25. As the annual breeding season of hilsa coincides with the full moon of Ashwin, the rivers across the nation are expected to witness the migration of this national fish from the sea to spawn.
The Khulna district is home to 2,936 registered fishermen who rely heavily on hilsa fishing for their income. Many of these fishermen have reported financial distress due to insufficient catches even during the peak season, and the current ban exacerbates their economic woes. They have urged the authorities to expedite the distribution of the allocated rice.
The District Fisheries Office has reported that hilsa is typically caught in 20 rivers in Khulna, including Pashur, Shibsa, Bhadra, and several others. A total of 3,601 fishermen in these rivers are engaged exclusively in hilsa fishing. District Fisheries Officer Md Badruzzaman noted that this year, 2,936 fishermen from six upazilas-excluding Dumuria-will receive 25 kilograms of rice each as part of the 73.40 metric tons of VGF rice assistance. The distribution is expected to be completed by October 12.
During this ban, strict monitoring and mobile court drives will ensure compliance, preventing any catching, transporting, marketing, or storing of hilsa. Khulna Deputy Commissioner Md Toufiqur Rahman has directed all Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) to distribute the VGF rice to eligible fishermen promptly under the Humanitarian Assistance Programme guidelines from 2012-2013. The UNOs are instructed to issue delivery orders to union parishad chairmen within two working days of receiving sub-allocation and to prepare the distribution schedule accordingly. The presence of the Upazila Fisheries Officer or their representative, as well as the designated tag officer, is required during the rice distribution. Authorities have been advised to ensure that only registered fishermen receive the VGF rice allocation.