Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar said, if we can’t give fishers absolutely interest-free loans, arrangements will be made to give loans at low interest.
In order to increase hilsa production, hilsa extraction is prohibited three times a year. The government has plans to see if anything else can be done for the fishermen during this ban. But we have to give some time to do these things.

The adviser said these things in the chief guest’s speech at the awareness meeting organized by the district administration and fisheries department on the occasion of ‘Mother Hilsa Conservation Campaign-2024’ in the main breeding season of hilsa at Bhola canal-adjacent Balur field of Bhola district headquarters on Tuesday (October 22, 2024 AD). At this time, various stakeholders including fishermen were present.

Referring to the international level of hilsa resources, the fisheries advisor said that the people of the district where hilsa is produced cannot be poor. Everyone must work together to protect hilsa resources. The advisor directed the law enforcement forces to drive away those who intrude into the deep waters of Bangladesh and catch fish. Besides, Ma also warned to take strict action against those who violate the law to protect Hilsa.

Under the chairmanship of Bhola Deputy Commissioner Md. Azad Jahan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Syed Mahmud Belal Haider, Directorate General of Fisheries Md Zillur Rahman, Coast Guard South Zone Commander Mohammad Shaheen Majeed, Naval Contingent Commander Abu Bakr Siddique, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Shariful Haque, Naval Police Superintendent of Police Nazmul Hasan, Hilsa Resources Development and Management Project Director Md. Molla Mdadullah, Bhola District Fisheries Officer Biswajit Kumar Dev, President of Bhola District Small Fishermen’s Association Md. Ershad and Fisherman Sardar Bashir Gazi spoke among others.