Officials and local stakeholders stressed canal excavation and citizen action to safeguard breeding grounds, restore indigenous fish populations and support fisheries conservation in Manikganj.
National Fisheries Week 2026 was celebrated in Manikganj with a series of programmes, including a discussion meeting at the conference room of the district administration, where speakers called for protecting rivers, canals and water bodies to help restore native fish species.
The meeting was presided over by Manikganj Deputy Commissioner Najmun Ara Sultana and moderated by District Fisheries Officer Sheikh Monirul Haq Monir.
Afroza Khan Rita, Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, attended the meeting as chief guest.
“To restore the lost heritage of indigenous silver fish in our fertile land, we must keep our rivers, canals, and water bodies free and accessible,” she said.
Speakers highlighted the government’s commitment to agriculture and the environment, stressing the need for canal excavation programmes to secure breeding grounds and sanctuaries for native fish species throughout the year.
They urged citizens to play an active and conscious role in making the initiatives successful.
Among those attending were Advocate Jamilur Rashid Khan, administrator of Manikganj Zila Parishad; Advocate Nurtaj Alam Bahar, public prosecutor at the Manikganj District Judge Court; Mousumi Nasrin, upazila nirbahi officer of Manikganj Sadar; Md. Shahjahan Siraj, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension; Md. Harun Or Rashid Khan, deputy director of the Department of Youth Development; Sheikh Abdul Baten, deputy director of the Department of Social Services; Jahangir Alam Biswas, president of Manikganj Press Club; and Md. Anwar Hossain, senior upazila fisheries officer.
