Leased out to non-fishermen, fishermen deprived

Madhaikhal beel, which lies on 157 acres of land in Kurigram's Nageshwari upazila, was the main source of income for more than four hundred fishermen families.

The water body was open for all and anyone could catch fish even 15 years ago.

Apart from the fishermen families, hundreds of locals also made a living by fishing in the beel which had an abundant supply of indigenous varieties of fish.

But now the Land Ministry has leased the water body to a section of non-fishermen who solely control the waterbody depriving the fishermen.

Fisherman Suren Chandra Das, 72, of Madhaikhal village, who inherited the profession from his father, said his father Prabhat Chandra Das and his grandfather Lengtu Chandra Das used to fish in the beel. He used to run his family by fishing in this beel.

But his sons and grandsons can no longer fish in this beel.

"The lessees of this beel do not allow the fishermen to catch fish in the beel. Many fishermen have been forced to give up their ancestral profession," he said.

Aftab Ali, a local of Madhaikhal village, said not only the fishermen but also the locals used to make a living by fishing in the beel. Now they are not allowed to fish in the beel.

Dinesh Chandra Bishwas, president of Kaliganj Fishermen's Association, said 500 families are getting benefits from the beel.

Of these, only 25 are families, whose ancestral profession was fishing. Although the beel is leased in the name of fishermen, the non-fishermen have become partners due to money.

"We don't have money that's why we have had to involve the non-fishermen as partners," Dinesh said, adding that although local fishermen are not partners in the beel, they are hired and paid for fishing here.

Former UP member Abdul Jalil said the beel is being leased for more than Tk 9 lakh every year. Even though outsiders can't catch fish here, they are given fish.

Kurigram District Fisheries Officer Kalipada Roy said the beel was leased from the Land Ministry.

"It is up to the ministry to decide whether the Madhaikhal beel will be open to all as it was in the past," he added.