P. K. Biswas

Bangladesh Coast Guard Southern Zone is playing an important role in maintaining law and order in the country’s maritime borders and coastal areas, suppressing smuggling, drug and human trafficking, preventing illegal trawling, and conserving marine biodiversity.
This information was given by Coast Guard Media Officer Lft. Commander Siam-ul-Haq on the morning of Sunday, August 17, 2025.
He said, since its establishment, Bangladesh Coast Guard Southern Zone has been making an important contribution to the security of the vast sea, coastal and riverine areas of the country. In these areas, in addition to maintaining law and order, protecting people’s lives and property, suppressing smuggling and drug trafficking, as well as providing relief assistance in various natural disasters, Bangladesh Coast Guard has become a symbol of security and trust among the people. In addition, Payra Port has now become a safe port due to the relentless efforts of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has been providing security by providing regular foot patrols in the areas under the Southern Zone, patrolling the coastal areas through ships and high-speed boats, and deploying QRF and diving teams to deal with emergency situations.

In the operation conducted by Bangladesh Coast Guard in the southern zone to eradicate Jatka, conserve mother Hilsa and protect fishery resources, 650 million meters of illegal nets worth about 4,224 crore taka, 1,500 Behundi nets and 5,600 China Duari nets were seized and destroyed. In addition, 1 lakh 77 thousand kg of Jatka, 20 thousand kg of Hilsa fish, 31 thousand kg of marine fish, 17 thousand kg of Pangas fry and 6 crore 72 lakh pieces of shrimp fry worth about 23 crore 62 lakh taka were seized. As the seized fry were released into the river, a positive change is being observed in the movement of fish compared to the past.
Recently, some unscrupulous fishermen and businessmen in the coastal areas of Bangladesh have been fishing by attaching illegal trawling gears and current nets to their boats in the hope of making more profit. This is destroying marine biodiversity, disrupting fish reproduction, and negatively impacting the livelihoods of local fishermen.
In this context, the Bangladesh Coast Guard, through regular operations in the southern zone, has recently taken legal action by seizing 133 illegal trawling boats worth an estimated Tk 135 crore.
Through intelligence activities and round-the-clock patrolling, 29 domestic firearms, 48 rounds of live ammunition, 1 round of shell casings, 27 hand bombs, 4 rocket flares, 39 domestic sharp weapons and 234.692 grams of gold ornaments, 30.62 grams of gold-plated ornaments and 126.12 grams of silver ornaments worth 20 lakh 5 thousand taka were recovered in the last five months, and 43 hardened terrorists and robbers were arrested. In the anti-drug operation, 18 kg 840 grams of ganja, 5 ganja plants and 3,197 pieces of yaba were recovered. In the anti-smuggling operation, 5,900 kg of shark, 845 kg of lotus leaves, 30,080 kg of illegal polythene, 10,250 liters of illegal crude palm oil worth about 2 crore 39 lakh taka were seized. In addition, 190 kg of deer meat worth 1 lakh 90 thousand taka, 1 deer antler and 5,889 different types of fireworks and 19,600 sticks of various foreign brand cigarettes and illegal daily necessities worth about 7 lakh 54 taka were seized.

To prevent illegal sand mining, Bangladesh Coast Guard Southern Zone has seized 70 dredgers and 58 bulkheads worth Tk 109.4 million in the last 6 months through regular operations conducted by the local public based on complaints and its own intelligence information.
In the last six months, 1,120 helpless, poor and children have been provided free treatment and medicines through the medical campaign of Bangladesh Coast Guard South Zone. 520 people have been rescued alive and 8 bodies have been recovered in search and rescue operations. In addition, relief distribution activities have also been carried out in various places in collaboration with Coast Guard Parivar Kalyan Sangha. On April 10, Coast Guard South Zone rescued 4 fishing trawlers and 67 fishermen from the clutches of pirates and provided them with first aid.
In a regular operation to maintain law and order, Bangladesh Coast Guard South Zone has arrested 19 criminals and brought them under the law. 24-hour patrols are underway to prevent smuggling and drug trafficking in coastal areas. As per the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, awareness programs on fish conservation, waste management, disaster rescue and firefighting have been conducted with the participation of students in Bhola on the occasion of ‘Youth Festival-2025’.
He further said that Bangladesh Coast Guard is maintaining round-the-clock surveillance in the sea, coastal and riverine areas with the aim of making the blue economy prosperous. These activities will continue in the future as well.