Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the National Fisheries Week-2026 as the chief guest at a central ceremony in Katiadi upazila of Kishoreganj on August 16.
Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid said this during a press conference at the Secretariat on Thursday.
The central inaugural programme will be held at the George Institute Mini Stadium ground in Achmita Union of Katiadi.
The National Fisheries Week will be observed across the country from August 16 to 30 under the theme “A self-reliant country through silver fish, Bangladesh first.”
The prime minister will formally inaugurate the fortnight-long programme and distribute the National Fisheries Awards among individuals and organisations for their outstanding contributions to fish production, research, technological innovation, extension services, administrative efficiency and entrepreneurship development.
A total of 14 individuals and organisations will receive the National Fisheries Award (Gold) in 13 categories.
Bangladesh produced 5.111 million tonnes of fish in the 2024-25 fiscal year, while per capita daily fish availability reached 67.80 grams, exceeding the national nutritional requirement of 60 grams, he said.
The fisheries sector currently contributes 2.58% to the country’s GDP and 22.03% to agricultural GDP. Around 20.6 million people, including nearly 1.4 million women, are directly and indirectly involved in the sector.
FP/R