Dhaka, Jan. 24 -- Hilsa, Bangladesh's national fish, has been found contaminated with microplastics and cadmium, raising serious concerns for human health, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said on Saturday.

"Industrial effluents from Narayanganj and other districts are flowing into the Shitalakshya and eventually the Meghna River, posing a severe threat to hilsa and other aquatic life," Farida Akhter said at the third convocation of ASA University Bangladesh (ASAUB) held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Agargaon.

The adviser warned that hilsa contains harmful substances such as microplastics, lead, and cadmium, which is extremely alarming.

"Industrial waste threatens the very existence of hilsa and o...