Bhola fishermen worried ahead of 22-day ban
Khalil.Uddin Farid, Bhola
Fishermen across Bhola are staring at severe financial uncertainty as hilsa catches remain critically low just ahead of a nationwide 22-day fishing ban starting October 8.
Despite incurring heavy expenditure on fuel, ice, food, and labor, many fishermen returning from the Meghna and Tetulia rivers fail to recover even basic operational costs. With most relying on loans from local moneylenders, the meager catch has compounded their debt burden.
Adding to their woes, severe market distortions mean fishermen are forced to sell fish for Tk 1,400 per kg, while multiple layers of middlemen push retail prices up to Tk 2,000–Tk 2,500 per kg in local kitchens markets.
Although the government has allocated 3,591.4 metric tonnes of VGF rice for the district's 143,656 registered fishing families, local fishermen express deep anxiety over whether the assistance will reach genuine beneficiaries on time.
Experts stress that while the October 8–29 ban is essential to protect mother hilsa during peak breeding, strict law enforcement must go hand in hand with timely humanitarian aid to ensure the survival of fishing households.
