Rajshahi fishermen seek remedy for ‘harassment’ by river police

The fishermen are used to catching small fishes of local species from the Padma in Rajshahi with nylon mesh nets, especially during July to September when the river sees full flow and abundance of the fishes.

But most of them had to remain idle during this season as Bangladesh River Police that started its activities in Rajshahi this year are not allowing them to use nets having small holes, without giving any clear idea of the nets which can be used for catching fishes, alleged the fishermen.

Earlier on September 16, the fishermen held a meeting on the river bank at Noboganga village of Paba upazila with Haripur union parishad Chairman Bazle Rizvi Al Hasan Munjil in the chair.

Some 2000 fishermen’s families live on daily fishing in the river from Gohomabona of Godagari to Raotha village of Bagha upazila in the district, they said at the meeting.

The river police arrested several fishermen and burnt their nets, although some of the nets are not banned ones, the fishermen alleged.

The river police officials said 10 fishermen were jailed for 10 days, three of them fined while 1.32 lakh metres of banned nets were burnt since July.

“The river police seize banned nets from the fishermen, but there is no action against those who are selling small fishes at markets,” Golam Mostafa, president of fishermen’s association at Godagari, said at the meeting.

The law enforcers are, however, allowing some 20 influential fishermen who use all kinds of banned nets, alleged Minarul Islam, president of fishermen’s association at Naboganga.

“It will be hard for posh restaurants of Rajshahi city to run a day without dishes of small fishes like peoli, pabda, patashi, katapatashi, bashpata, tengra, bacha, metra and khoyra.

“When we’re not allowed to net small fishes, who are providing those to the restaurants? It’s obviously those who are being allowed,” he said.

Md Ayeen Uddin, lawmaker from Rajshahi-3 (Paba-Mohonpur) constituency, who attended the meeting as chief guest, said, “Laws are made for the people. I call upon the police to protect interests of the fishermen.”

River police officials denied the allegations of harassing the fishermen.

“It is not true that some fishermen are allowed to use banned nets. Sometimes we can’t launch drives against banned nets due to manpower shortage,” said Inspector Mehedi Masud of Rajshahi river police outpost.

Contacted, Prof ABM Mohsin of the Department of Fisheries at Rajshahi University, said, “The fishermen can use local fishing methods that are not banned. It will bring lesser amount of fishes but use of the banned nets will endanger fish species in the river.”