Villagers deprived of catching fish on the Kutubpur Canal in Bogra's Sariakandi for the last four years have demanded the eviction of some influentials who set up a fish farm by erecting fences and nets based on a reported lease agreement.
Again, during the monsoon, the navigation of the canal, a branch of the Manas River, is disrupted because of the encroachment. It stretches from Kutubpur Union to Banshata village through Kalartair to join the Bangali River.
Even five years ago, hundreds of villagers used to hunt fish and selling those in the market. They used to travel to places by boat.
But their freedom was curbed after some influential people of the area, including Abul Mandal, Shamsul Fakir, Ali Fakir, Rabbani Fakir and Mahbub, fenced the canal with nets, tree branches and bamboo – thanks to lack of proper steps by the authorities to free the canal.
“The canal was freed from encroachment by a mobile court a few days ago. Measures will be taken with the help of the administration, if they continue fish farming with a net fence,” Sariakandi Upazila Fisheries Officer Golam Morshed told Dhaka Tribune.
When contacted, Abul Mandal said he did not know whether this kind of fishing is legal or illegal. “I am farming fish on lease from one Hobu Saki,” he added.
According to Kutubpur Union Parishad Chairman Shahidul Islam Sujan, he has been seeing the canal as an open water body since childhood. People on both sides of the canal used to hunt fish here. Some earned their livelihood by selling fish.
Mahatab Ali of Kutubpur village said that at least 1,500 families live around the canal who used to earn their living by catching fish and selling it in the market. At present, the influential people of the area are farming fish with nets and fences in the deep canal from Kutubpur bridge to Kalartair.
“This has blocked the income of the helpless poor family members of the area. They are passing their days in worse conditions while the influential are profiting financially by selling a lot of fish using the government canal,” he added.
Ratan Mia of the same village said that the upazila administration should come forward to cancel the lease and free the illegally occupied canal. Besides, it should be ensured that everyone can catch fish from the reservoir.
On the other hand, the canal grabbers have also obstructed the excavation of the canal under a government project, locals said.
The Bogra Water Development Board (WDB) had taken a plan to dig a 2.50km of the canal, but under the pressure of the influential, only two kilometres were dug—a claim refuted by the officials concerned.
