The government has allocated 200 metric tons of rice under Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) program for distribution to 8000 fishermen in Harirampur, Shibalaya and Daulatpur upazilas of the district as food assistance.

District Fisheries Officer Md. Saifur Rahman said this at a view exchanging meeting at Paturia Ghat to make aware of the fishermen, traders and the people about 22-day government ban on catching, selling, hoarding and transporting hilsha fishes.

The banning will come into effect from October 13 to save mother hilsa during peak breeding season in the three upazilas, Rahman said.

The meeting was held on the Amboypur Government Primary school premises chaired by Shibalaya Upazila Senior Fishery Officer Md. Jasim Uddin.

The DFO said the rice will be distributed through the concerned Union Parishad Chairmen.

Each of the listed fishermen will get 25 Kgs of rice, he added.

The hilsha catching ban will continue till November 03, the meeting sources said.