Hilsa is our wealth, it is our responsibility to protect it : Masud Parvez
Mahbubur Rahman Tipu, Dohar (Dhaka)
Masud Parvez, general secretary of Dohar Upazila BNP and former upazila vice chairman, said, "Hilsha is our wealth, especially your (fishermen's) wealth. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all of you to protect it. Let us all protect this wealth together."
He made this statement as the chief guest at a discussion meeting with fishermen chaired by Ramzan Hossain Molla, president of the upazila's fisheries team, on Thursday afternoon.
Masud Parvez further said, "A small Hilsa egg can produce 1.5 to 2 lakh Hilsa fry. A large Hilsa egg can produce at least 2 million fish fry. This resource is ours, especially yours (in the fisheries). We always say that the water bodies will remain open. Our election promise is that the net belongs to the water. So we have to be patient for only 22 days. The government is giving 25 kg of rice to each registered fisherman family. If you work a little hard for these few days, your wealth will increase." "Hilsa is our national resource. Out of the many countries in the world, we produce 70 percent of the Hilsa. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all of us to protect Hilsa. The Padma River in Doha is a very important place for Hilsa. Delicious Hilsa is available here.
It is mentioned that the government has announced a 22-day ban on Hilsa fishing in the Padma River in Dohar Upazila of Dhaka, with the aim of increasing Hilsa production, starting from 12 midnight on Wednesday.
The ban will continue until October 29. The 36-kilometer stretch of the Padma River, which borders Doha, has been declared a sanctuary for Hilsa.
The Upazila Task Force and Upazila Fisheries Department have already made all kinds of preparations to implement the ban. An awareness campaign is being conducted in the areas surrounded by the Padma River under the leadership of the Upazila administration.
The number of registered fishermen involved in fishing for Hilsa and other fish in this upazila is over 3,000. Of these, 1,150 have received fisherman assistance cards. This is very insignificant for the fishermen of the area surrounded by the Padma River in Dohar upazila.
During the period of closure of fishing, these fishermen will be provided with 25 kg of food aid. This food aid will reach the fishermen within the next week.
There are allegations that the task force in this area was formed with Awami League leaders, excluding fishermen and fisheries leaders.
