Photo : BSS

BAGERHAT, Oct 12, 2025 (BSS) - Forest guards have detained four fishermen, including the notorious Liton Matubbar, while they were illegally fishing in a restricted canal of the Kochikhali Wildlife Sanctuary under the East Sundarbans. 

Fish worth over Taka one lakh, two nets and two dinghy boats were seized during the raid. A case has been filed against them under the Forest Act.

The detained fishermen were identified as Liton Matubbar, 45, Taijul Hawlader, 18, Abu Khalek Mridha, 50, and Hamid Hawlader, 52 - all hailing from Bakultala and Sonatala villages under Sharankhola upazila.

According to the Forest Department, a team of forest guards led by Forester Dilip Majumder, team leader of Smart Team-1 under the Sharankhola Range of the East Sundarbans, conducted a raid on Saturday morning at the Dudhraj Canal in the Kochikhali Wildlife Sanctuary. 

They caught red-handed the four fishermen, including millionaire fisherman Liton Matubbar, while they were catching fish illegally.

The seized items include prawn (galda) and different species of white fish worth over Taka one lakh, two fishing nets and two dinghy boats. 

The arrested fishermen were handed over to the Kochikhali Forest Patrol Camp to be sent to the Bagerhat court after filing a case under the Forest Act.

Sources said that Liton Matubbar had long been illegally involved in fishing in the restricted Dudhraj Canal in the Kochikhali Sanctuary. On July 21 last, the Special Team of Sharankhola Range seized 28 fishing nets belonging to Liton Matubbar from the Kochikhali site canal based on secret information. 

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans East Forest Division in Bagerhat, Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, told BSS that a case has been lodged against four fishermen, including Liton Matubbar, for illegally fishing in the restricted Kochikhali canal and the accused have been sent to the Bagerhat court today.