<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">A 22-day ban on catching hilsa fishing began across the country on Thursday midnight.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To ensure the safe spawning of the national fish of Bangladesh during its peak breeding period, the government has imposed the ban in the Padma-Meghna sanctuary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ban will remain in place till November 2.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fishermen will not be allowed to catch fish in the Padma-Meghna sanctuary from Shatnal in Matlab Uttar to Char Bhairabi in Haimchar upazila of Chandpur district.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Local administration has provided 25 kg of rice to each fisherman during the hilsa fishing ban and distribution of rice has begun in different parts of the district.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The local administrations also held an awareness programme in the coastal areas of the district.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fishermen were seen passing an idle time and some were seen repairing their nets.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Golam Mehedi Hasan, district fisheries officer, said the rice distribution programme among 43,772 registered fishermen will end within one or two days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During this period, the taskforce will conduct drives round the clock to check violation of the ban while the mobile court will conduct drives alongside it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He also hoped that the implementation of the programme will play a role in increasing the production of hilsa.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, Chandpur Deputy Commissioner Quamrul Hasan said the taskforce committee will strictly perform their duties and temporary camps will be set up in Matlab North, Sadar and Haimchar upazilas of the district. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>