They also demanded reforms in the existing haor lease system since it only benefits local influential figures instead of common people and fishermen.

Nagorik Sanghati organised the press conference at the office of news agency Abas in the city.

Abas Chairman Mostafa Jabbar in his keynote paper said people living in the haor areas are leading a miserable life as most of them are struggling against hunger, poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, flood and dearth of works.

The poor fishermen of the haor areas are deprived of the rights to haor assets due to the leasing system as it benefits the well-to-do and influential quarters, he said adding that such people are not even eligible to get bank loans.

They would benefit from the system only if the assets are leased to the fishermen and their association, he said.

Besides, the haor area is a huge resource of sweet water fishes and a suitable plan can provide the country with a lot of foreign currencies, he added.

He also said a long-term political planning is a must to use the potentiality of the haor areas.

Engineer M Inamul Haque, director general of Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board, said a licence system can be introduced in the area as the fishermen never get any benefits from the leasing system.

He also said the government will also get revenues if it introduces a licence system.

Advocate Abed Reza, president of Sylhet Division Development Council, said though there is a concerned authority -- Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board in the country, their work is rarely found.

A master planning along with a mass movement is necessary to save the haor people as well as the biodiversity and aquaculture of the country, he said.

Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon Mihir Biswas and Secretary of Nagorik Sanghati Sharifuzzaman Sharif also spoke at the rally.