Over 6 thousand Bay fishermen given ID cards to check piracy

KHULNA, Sept 7: Morelgong Upazila Fisheries Department has issued over 6 thousand identity cards to local fishermen in a bid to check piracy in Sundarbans and in the Bay. Without the ID cards provided by the administration no fisherman will be allowed to go for fishing in the Bay and costal areas.

A discussion meeting was held on Saturday at Officer's Club with Nirbahi Officer Abdul Halim in the chair. Upazila Chairman Shah-e-Alam Bachhu addressed as the chief guest and among others Upazila Fisheries Officer Yasin Ali, Agricultural Officer Jahangir Alam and Al-Amin Sheikh, secretary of Upazila Motshyajibi Samity also addressed the meeting. Later 6,455 ID cards have been given to the fishermen of 16 Unions and Paourashava of Morelgong Upazila under Fishermen Registration and Identity Card Project.

Pirates, sometime in guise of fishermen, go to the Bay to loot trawlers and also kidnap fishermen demanding ransom. It will be easier to identify them as the ID cards are provided to the fisherman, the speakers said.

Around 0.2million fishermen are involved in fishing profession in Bagerhat district, sources said.