ID cards for fishermen soon to contain piracy

BAGERHAT, Oct 27 (UNB): The Bagerhat district administration is going to issue 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. The decision was taken at a meeting of district law and order committee at the office of Deputy Commissioner (DC) in last month to check piracy and also identify the fishermen and pirates. Fishermen are hopeful of getting ID cards soon and said this will help check piracy to some extent. No specific date has yet been fixed to give ID cards Mohammad Akram Hossain, Deputy Commissioner of the district, told UNB that without ID card no fisherman would be allowed to go for fishing. "The ID cards would be provided to fisherman of the district from the DC office after getting certificate from trawler owners and fisherman organization," said the DC adding that work is going on to provide ID card as soon as possible. Lieutenant Hasanuzzaman, Staff Officer (Operation) of Mongla Coast Guard West zone, told UNB that during the operation in Sundarbans and in Bay they can't identify the pirates. Pirates sometime in guise of fishermen go to Bay to loot trawlers and also kidnap fishermen demanding ransom. It will be easier to identify pirates if ID cards are provided to the fisherman. Alamgir Hossain, Kalam Sheikh, Chhotto Biswas, Shipon Hawlader and some other fishermen said because of not having ID card they face various problems while fishing in the Sundarbans and in the Bay. Around 0.2m fishermen, who maintain their livelihood by fishing, are involved in the fishing profession in the district, sources said. From September 10 to 23, pirates of Sundarbans attacked 50 trawlers, looted fish and fishing nets worth about Tk 0.5m and also kidnapped 100 fisherman demanding ransom. 40 kgs venison, 3 deer heads, 2 skins seized Forest officials seized 40 kgs of venison, three dear heads, two skins and a trawler at Dimerchar in Sharankhola upazila in Bagerhat Thursday morning. Sunderbans East Zone DFO Mihir Kumer said acting on secret information, a team of forest officials launched drive in the area and recovered the venison, deer skins and heads from a trawler at about 7 am. But the poachers managed to flee sensing their presence.