Dhaka, July 20 (UNB) – The ‘National Fisheries Week 2011’ begins today all over the country aiming at raising the country’s fish resources.

The theme of the ‘National Fisheries Week’ this year is ‘the Country will be fulfilled by safe fisheries, Bangladesh will be changed’.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to formally inaugurate the countrywide programme at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital today while Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque will be present.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas will preside over the programme.

The government has taken various programmes to observe the fisheries week from July 20 to 26 with a view to creating awareness among people for protecting fisheries resource.

Ahead of the ‘National Fisheries Week 2011, Abdul Latif Biswas at a press conference said the fish resource has a great contribution to the country’s economic development and its socioeconomic advancement and growth.

He said the livelihood of around 1.45 crore people in the country depends on fisheries resource while of them, 12 lakh people have been directly engaged in this sector.