Md  Atiqur Rahman Eshte,  Barguna 

 Severe allegations of corruption, nepotism, and political interference have surfaced regarding the preparation and updating of official fishermen registration lists in Barguna district, leaving tens of thousands of genuine fisherfolk deprived of state humanitarian assistance.

According to local fishing communities, non-fishermen and individuals engaged in alternative professions were systematically listed under previous political patronage, while authentic traditional fishermen were omitted. Despite recent administrative transitions, a significant portion of the flawed legacy list remains unchanged, compounding distress across coastal settlements.

Official data from the Barguna District Fisheries Office indicates that 52,476 fishermen are currently registered across the district. However, local leaders and representatives estimate that nearly 50,000 active, genuine fishermen remain unregistered and unlisted.

The exclusion has caused severe economic hardship, particularly during the ongoing 22-day national ban on mother hilsa harvesting. Deprived of their sole source of livelihood, affected families face acute food insecurity, mounting debt burdens, and financial instability. While registered fishermen are designated to receive government Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) food assistance, unregistered fisherfolk remain entirely cut off from relief distributions.

Providing administrative updates, Barguna District Fisheries Officer Mohammad Zia Uddin confirmed that as part of the ongoing mother hilsa protection campaign through October 24, authorities conducted 259 drive operations and 66 mobile court sessions across district waterways. The operations yielded 127 kilograms of seized hilsa, which were subsequently distributed to local orphanages and destitute individuals, alongside the confiscation of 550,100 meters of illegal fishing nets valued at approximately Tk 2.04 crore. Law enforcement agencies filed eight regular cases, sentenced 18 individuals to imprisonment, collected Tk 16,000 in fines, and generated Tk 10,000 from public auctions.

Regarding food relief, the District Fisheries Officer reported that out of 986.725 metric tons of VGF rice allocated for registered fishermen during the ban period, 939.225 metric tons have been distributed, representing an operational progress rate of 95.19 percent.

Local community members and representatives have voiced concern over ongoing political pressure during list updating procedures, urging high-level administrative intervention. They demanded an immediate impartial inquiry into the registration process, professional verification of existing beneficiaries, and the urgent opening of enrollment drives to ensure genuine fishermen receive state assistance.