DHAKA, March 12, 2026 (BSS) - River Police conducted a series of nationwide operations over the past seven days to protect the country's fisheries resources and ensure safety on waterways, leading to the arrest of 397 people and the seizure of a large quantity of illegal fishing equipment and aquatic resources.

According to a press release of River Police, the drives recovered 3,96,40,945 meters of illegal nets, 3,501 kilograms of fish, 3,00,000 pieces of fish fry, 2 kilograms of shrimp fry, and 210 kilograms of jellied shrimp. 

In addition, 213 fish-aggregating bushes were destroyed in rivers during the operations.

During the crackdown, authorities also filed prosecution cases against 109 bulkhead vessels in the Naval Court for operating without valid documents, while four dredgers were seized.

Over the seven-day period, the Naval Police filed 128 cases against various offenders. 

These included 81 cases under the Fisheries Act, 37 cases for reckless speeding, four under the Sand Mahal Act, one case related to stolen goods, three drug cases, and two murder cases. 

The operations also resulted in the recovery of six dead bodies from different waterways.

Officials said the confiscated illegal nets and jellied shrimp were destroyed. 

The remaining fish were distributed to orphanages, while the recovered fish fry were released back into the water to support the conservation of aquatic resources.