Staff Reporter
Abdus Salam Molla
Charbhadasan Upazila Nirbahi Officer Monira Khatun and Upazila Fisheries Officer Naeem Hossain are conducting a dam demolition drive with controversial media workers instead of mainstream media. This has created adverse reactions among mainstream media workers and civil society.
It was seen on the ground that on February 6, at 11:00 am, senior journalists of the upazila went to meet the Charbhadrasan Upazila Executive Officer's office. He told the journalists that he would go to the dam demolition and banned current net and Hilsa resource development and management project campaign. At that time, the senior journalists told the Upazila Executive Officer that they would go to a government program related to government interests. But the Upazila Executive Officer did not pay any attention to that. Instead, he said in a boastful tone that one can write water news sitting on the shore.
On the other hand, Upazila Fisheries Officer Naeem Hossain Biplob also said that senior journalists will go to the Padma River. Upazila Fisheries Officer Naeem Hossain Biplob said that it is up to the Executive Magistrate to decide who will be hired to kill the Jatka Hilsa.
On the other hand, it was seen that Kamrul Hasan Firoz, the president of the Krishak Dal in the upazila at 11:30 am, did not evaluate the leaders and activists of the Krishak Dal who went to meet him under his leadership.
Many are expressing anger that the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islam leaders and activists in the upazila have not been evaluated.
Two staff members of the Upazila Parishad passed on the news to pro-Awami journalists of their choice, and the Fisheries Office and Upazila Administration reported that the mobile court was not working and that the Upazila Fisheries Department's program was not being effective. This news reached the people who killed the fish.
In this incident, Upazila Fisheries Officer Naeem Hossain Biplob told this reporter that the Upazila administration has jurisdiction over the dams, the prohibited current nets and the executive magistrate in the mobile court to decide who to take in the development and management of hilsa resources. Upazila Fisheries Officer Naeem Hossain Biplob did not give priority to the media workers of Charbhadrasan Upazila who have made significant contributions in writing about the past killing of hilsa.
District Fisheries Officer Prashant Kumar Sarkar is aware that senior journalist Abdus Salam Molla has contributed to the campaign to protect the mother hilsa, but the Upazila Administration and Upazila Fisheries Department are not giving him any importance in the news coverage. They are not playing any role in the campaign to protect the mother hilsa. The Upazila Administration and Upazila Fisheries Department are conducting a campaign against those journalists.
Charbhadrasan Upazila Nirbahi Officer Monira Khatun told this reporter, "Who will the Fisheries Department take on the expedition?" She added with arrogance, "You can write water news sitting on the shore."
Some well-known journalists have taken the fish seized from the refrigerator of the former executive officer and have taken it to the madrasa of the upazila executive officer. Many have expressed the opinion that if a raid is conducted on some controversial journalists, the former will fill their bags with the seized jatka hilsa.
District Fisheries Officer Prashant Kumar Sarkar said, "We are looking into the matter and will take necessary action."
Local residents, civil society, the Upazila Fisheries Officer and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer are questioning the role of the Fisheries Conservation Administration in such activities.
