Fishermen in Chattogram on Sunday blocked Dhaka-Chattogram Highway at Sitakunda area demanding withdrawal of the 65-day fishing ban in the Bay of Bengal.
Locals said scores of people from the fishermen's community under the banner of Matshyajibi Jele Somproday and Uttar Chattarala Coastal Fisheries Cooperatives Jaldas Welfare Federation organisation came out on the street around 10am on Sunday.
Traffic movement on the highway was halted for about two hours and commuters returning to their workplaces after the Eid-ul-Fitr vacation faced immense sufferings, report UNB and bdnews24.com.
Md Farhad, assistant superintendent of police's Chattogram Zone, said traffic on the highway came to a standstill during that time as hundreds of vehicles were stranded in tailbacks on both sides of the road.
Later, the protesters left the streets on assurances from the local Member of Parliament and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).
Sitakunda UNO Milton Rai said, "Fishermen took to the streets in protest against the ban on deep-sea fishing. The lawmaker and I have spoken to the deputy commissioner about resolving the issue. We will hold a meeting together with the leaders of the fishing community at the Deputy Commisioner's Office."
The ban on fishing in the Bay of Bengal started on May 20 and is set to run for 65 days. It applies to all water vessels until Jul 23.
The fishing ban was first introduced in 2015 to preserve fish stock and ensure proper breeding. The restriction has been in effect every year since for a specified period.
The government had said that it would provide 40 kilograms of rice monthly to each of 4,14,784 fishermen's families in 42 upazilas of 12 coastal districts during ban from May 20 to July 23.
But Liton Das, president of Uttar Chattarala Coastal Fisheries Cooperatives Jaldas Welfare Federation, accused the government of not arranging any alternatives for them.
"This has pushed 50,000 families of fishermen towards uncertainty," he said, threatening to intensify their movement if their demand is not met.
Vehicular movement resumed around noon.