Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the countrymen not to eat hilsha in Pahela Bashakh, the first day of Bangla Nababarsho, to help boost production of the country`s national fish.
"I would like to call upon all not to catch and eat hilsha in Pahela Baishakh ... instead, you take `khichuri` (yellow rice), vegetables, fried egg and burnt dry chilli," she said.
The premier made the request while addressing a press conference at her official Ganabhaban residence here this afternoon.
The press conference was convened to brief the media about the outcome of her just-concluded official visit to India. This is the season for mother hilsha to release eggs, and the government has imposed a ban on catching hilsha for 30 days.
The prime minister didn`t include hilsha in her Pahela Baishakh menu at Ganabhaban last year.
Over the few years, on an average the production of hilsha increased to 10,000-12,000 tonnes thanks to taking various measures against the catching of jatka and mother fishes, officials said.
The production of hilsha in 2015-16 fiscal year increased to nearly four lakh tonnes, they said.
Source: BSS