A mobile court sentenced four people to a year’s rigorous imprisonment each for catching Hilsha during a 22-day ban period in Hizla upazila of Barishal on Friday.
Besides, the court released two minor boys, detained with the four, to their guardians after taking a bond in this connection.
The convicts Saiful Mollick, 30, Nazmul Sikdar, 25, Nurul Islam Talukdar, 27, and Kawsar Mollah, 25, are residents of different areas of the upazila.
Bikash Chandra Dey, in-charge of Hizla River Police Unit, said they conducted a drive in association with fishery officer and members of Coast Guard (CG) and detained six people for fishing Hilsha during a ban period from a distributary of the Meghna River in the early morning.
Besides, a 5,000 metre fishing net was also seized during the drive, he said.
Later, the mobile court led by Executive Magistrate Mohammad Tarek Hawlader sentenced the four fishermen to one year of rigorous imprisonment each.
Mentionable, the government imposed a 22-day ban, on fishing Hilsa, selling and transporting, staring from October 7 it will remain in place till October 28.
Source: United News of Bangladesh