M A Mannan, Bhola : Fishing began at midnight on Wednesday after a ban on all types of fishing, including Hilsa, was imposed in the 190-km stretch of Meghna-Tetulia in Bhola for two months from March to April. More than two lakh fishermen in Bhola have joined the fishing straggle with all types of fishing equipment, including nets and trawlers.

An inspection of the Ilisha fish ghat of Bhola Sadar Upazila and the Patar Canal in Daulatkhan Upazila showed that fishermen are eagarly rushing to the river with their nets and trawlers to catch fish. Some are loading the nets in the trawlers, while very few owners are preparing the nets. As a result, a festive atmosphere is spreading among the fishermen and their families.

We spoke to Abdullah, Nagar Majhi, and fisherman Abu Taher. They said, “We are ready to fish in the river as soon as the ban is over. ” Over the past few days, my family and I have faced many problems. The government food aid was less than our needs, only rice was given by the government. We are dependent on the river, if we can catch fish in the river, our family will be fine. Due to the ban campaign, the joy of last Eid-ul-Fitr did not touch us. Our joy began with the lifting of the ban,” said Saiful Majhi of Daulatkhan fish ghat.

He added, “Due to the operation, we have kept the nets, trawlers and engines of the trawlers in a safe place, now we have put them in the trawlers and we hope to catch more species of fish including Hilsa. We will be able to pay off the loan by selling that fish.”

The Hilsha shopkeepers of Tulatuli ghat said, “Due to the operation, we have closed our shops, now we are opening them and cleaning them.”

The District Fisheries Department (DFD) said that the ban on fishing in the 190-km Meghna-Tetulia stretch of Bhola ended on Wednesday midnight. With the withdrawal of the ban on fishing, a festive atmosphere is spreading among the fishermen and their families. The source also said that during the ban in the last two months, 60 mobile courts including 540 operations were conducted in 7 upazilas of Bhola. 6 cases have been filed and two fishermen have been sent to jail.

Bhola District Fisheries Officer Biswajit Kumar Deb said, “The two-month ban on fishing in the Meghna Tetulia River ended at midnight on April 30. We have successfully implemented the ban. The mother Hilsa have laid a large number of eggs.”