The government has imposed a 22-day ban starting Oct 9 on catching, selling and transporting Hilsa in a 7,000km breeding ground, to ensure safe spawning of the fish, during its peak breeding period.

“The ban will be imposed for a total of twenty-two days in October,” State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru said on Monday (Oct 7).

The minister made the remark at a media call at the ministry conference room at the secretariat in Dhaka.

During the Hilsa breeding period, a massive combined operation will be conducted at all the fisheries ghats, warehouses, and hat-bazaars across the country.

The fisheries department, navy, air force, coast guard, police, river police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), district and upazila administrations, including the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, will enforce the ban.