File Photo\

DHAKA, April 17 2025 (BSS) - In extensive raids to protect the country's fishery resources and ensure security on the waterways, the River Police arrested 298 people along with a huge quantity of banned fishing nets, fish and fish fry from different parts of the country in the last seven days. 

"We arrested 298 individuals on various criminal charges in the last seven days and filed 79 cases against them," Md Azharul Islam, Inspector Training, Legal and Media at the River Police Headquarters told BSS today. 

He said the arrests were made for fishing various Renu Pona (fish fry), using illegal nets for fishing, extortion and murder. 

During the seven day operation, 2,79,82,882 meters of illegal fishing nets, 7,524 kg of fish, 4,73,500 pieces of Bagda Renu Ponna, 3,21,200pieces of various Renu Ponna, 72,000, pieces of shrimp Renu Ponna, 100 kg of jellied shrimp fish were seized and 111 bushes were destroyed from the river, he said.

The seized illegal nets have already been destroyed and the fish were distributed to the orphanage and the fish fry have been released into the water, he added.

As per the Marine Fisheries Rules 2023, the government has imposed restrictions on catching all kinds of fish by all sorts of fishing vessels for a total of 58 days from April 15 to June 11 like every year for proper breeding, production, preservation, and sustainable collection of fishes in the maritime zone of Bangladesh. 

The River Police also filed against 63 bulkheads for having no legal documents and seized three dredgers in the operation. 

The River Police also filed 79 cases against 298 arrestees. Of the cases, 53 cases were filed for illegal fishing, 20 cases of recklessness, one case for murder and sand extracting, three cases for unnatural death and one case for extortion. 

They also were recovered six bodies during the operation.