Thousands of fishermen are preparing to venture into the Bay of Bengal from October 30 for the five-month dry-fish season in the Sundarbans.
Leaving their families behind, the fishermen will battle harsh weather and uncertain catches until April 30 next year. Many have borrowed Taka 15 lakh to Taka 20 lakh from moneylenders to prepare their fishing fleets and stock provisions for five months.
The Forest Department has set a revenue collection target of Taka eight crore from the dry-fish settlements this season, up from Taka 7.5 crore in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Alongside the Forest Department, the elite force Special Response Battalion (SRB) and the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) will maintain special security measures to protect fishermen and traders from piracy, extortion and abduction.
Fishermen from Sutarkhali Union in Paikgachha upazila of Khulna, including Moinul Islam and 39 others, are preparing to head to sea in a fleet of five boats. Some have borrowed up to Taka 20 lakh to finance their operations.
Fisherman Sohag Alam said they had caught very little Hilsa this season and had been unable to venture into deeper waters because Indian fishing boats were present.
"We are uncertain whether we will get the expected catch this season. Moreover, when we catch a substantial amount of fish, we have to give a portion to pirates. We are worried about the overall situation," he said.
Visits to fishing villages in Sutarkhali, Noakathi, Mahmudkathi, Hetampur, Ramnathpur and Kathipara in Paikgachha revealed concerns over declining fish stocks, maritime security and the growing risks associated with fishing.
Fishermen said many of them worked under agreements with boat owners, receiving Taka 1.2 lakh to Taka two lakh for a five-month trip.
Despite their contribution to the country's fisheries sector, they continue to face the risks of drowning, abduction and financial hardship.
Ashutosh Biswas, 55, of Ramnathpur village, who has been fishing at sea for nearly 40 years, said fish stocks had declined considerably.
"Previously, we caught a variety of fish, including ribbonfish, seabass, Bombay duck, shrimp, crabs, pomfret, mullet and tuna. Now the quantities are gradually decreasing," he said.
Talking to BSS Freedom Fighter Md Kamal Uddin Ahmed, President of the Dublar Char Fishermen Group, said piracy had made the business increasingly risky, with fishermen and traders facing extortion demands.
He said reports of new pirate groups organising ahead of the dry-fish season had heightened concerns. "The dry-fish industry at Dublar Char is not merely
a business for a handful of traders. The livelihoods of a large fishing community depend on it," he added.
Talking to BSS, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, divisional forest officer of the Sundarbans East Forest Division, said the revenue collection target for the current dry-fish season was set at Taka eight crore.
The target was Taka 7.5 crore in the 2025-26 fiscal year, against which approximately Taka 7.25 crore was collected, he said.
The divisional forest officer further said that the Forest Department had recently held meetings with other security agencies and would work jointly with them to protect fishermen. Although several pirate groups had surrendered, some remained active, he added.
Khulna Divisional Forest Conservator Imran Ahmed said fishermen had been advised not to venture into deep waters alone or enters remote forest areas. They had also been instructed to keep 15 to 20 boats together at night for safety.
Forest personnel will be deployed at different points in the Sundarbans. Fishermen have also been instructed not to use forest resources to construct temporary shelters, depots or fish-drying platforms, and to bring all necessary construction materials from their home areas, he said.
Construction of temporary facilities at the dry-fish settlements is scheduled to begin on October 30, alongside fishing and fish-drying activities.
Nistar Ahmed, commander of the elite force SRB-6, said 74 members of six pirate groups had surrendered to the force. An SRB temporary camp is operating at Dublar Char, the largest dry-fish trading centre in the area.
He said the force was conducting intelligence surveillance and working jointly with the Coast Guard to ensure security in the Sundarbans.
Bangladesh Coast Guard West Zone media officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon said special security arrangements would be in place throughout the season.
Coast Guard ships, boats and patrol teams will operate around Dublar Char, Alorkol, Katka and nearby rivers and channels to prevent piracy, extortion and abduction.
He urged fishermen and traders facing security threats to contact the Coast Guard's emergency hotline at 16111.
Sujon said 51 members of six pirate groups had surrendered to the Coast Guard this year, expressing hope that the development would help reduce piracy during the season.
According to the Forest Department, nearly 80 per cent of the country's dry-fish production comes from settlements around Dublar Char.
The four principal settlements - Majher Killa, Alorkol, Narkelbaria and Shalar Char-fall under the Sharankhola Range of the Sundarbans East Forest Division. Fishermen and traders from Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Chattogram and Cox's Bazar, among other districts, establish temporary settlements there during the five-month season.
The fisheries sector remains important to the coastal economy. According to fisheries department data, Bangladesh's maritime area, including its exclusive economic zone in the Bay of Bengal, covers 118,813 square kilometres. Fishing operations are largely concentrated within waters up to 200 metres deep.
The country has around 237 industrial trawlers and 28,575 mechanised and traditional fishing vessels. Marine fish production stood at 629,000 tonnes in the 2023-24 fiscal year, accounting for 12.53 per cent of domestic fish demand, according to the supplied data.
Khulna has 41,645 registered fishermen, with around 31,500 from Paikgachha, Koyra, Dacope, Rupsa and Dumuria engaged in deep-sea fishing. Paikgachha alone has around 1,500 fishermen in its 10 villages.