Five arrested for illegal fishing in Sundarban sanctuary

KHULNA, Nov 8: Forest officials have arrested five fishermen, including a former union parishad member, for allegedly fishing illegally in the Hangsoraj River of the Sundarban on Saturday afternoon.
Md Samanur Kadir, Officer-in-Charge of the Bhomorkhali Forest Patrol Outpost, said on Sunday.

He said a patrol team from Nalian Forest Station spotted a fishing trawler during a routine patrol. Upon approaching the vessel, the team found five men preparing to fish inside the sanctuary and arrested them.

They are Abu Musa, 50, a former member of Ward No. 7 of Koyra Sadar Union, and Jahangir Alam, 45, Jaber Ali, 50, Yasin Ali, 42, and Abdur Rouf, 40. All are residents of Koyra Upazila.

Based on information provided by the arrestees, forest officials later seized five boats and about 450 feet of charpata fishing nets during a drive in Chhoto Kukumari Canal, Samanur Kadir said.

He added that the Forest Department had previously filed several cases against Musa over alleged illegal fishing in the sanctuary.

AZM Hasanur Rahman, Divisional Forest Officer of the Sundarban West Division, said that a case under the Forest Act has been filed against the five. They were later sent to the Senior Judicial Magistrate Court in Koyra Upazila, he said.