Arable land in Rajshahi is shrinking rapidly due to widespread excavation of ponds, posing a serious threat to agricultural production and soil fertility. The district has lost 16,159 hectares of arable land between 2015 and 2023, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
During the same period, the area covered by ponds and other water bodies expanded sharply while residential buildings, roads and commercial structures were also constructed on cultivable land, the data showed. In 2023, waterbodies in the district covered 24,498 hectares, up from 15,044 hectares in 2015.
The data from the Rajshahi District Fisheries Office show that the number of ponds rose from 40,788 in 2015 to 51,275 in 2025, up by nearly 25% over a decade.
Officials believe the actual number is significantly higher, as many ponds are excavated illegally and remain unregistered. In the 2024–25 fiscal year, fish production in Rajshahi reached 84,803 tons, far exceeding the district’s local demand of 52,063 tons, reflecting the rapid expansion of commercial fish cultivation.
Officials and farmers say much of the high-yielding agricultural land has been converted into ponds in violation of Soil Conservation Guidelines and Agricultural Land Protection and Land Use Act, 2018.
The scale of the problem is far greater than official figures suggest due to widespread illegal excavation, they added.
Landowners acknowledge that higher profits are driving the shift. Commercial fish farming offers faster and substantially higher returns than traditional crops such as Boro rice, often with support from politically influential individuals.
Abdur Rahman, a farmer from Godagari upazila, said: “From rice cultivation, I earn about Tk 40,000 a year. But if I lease the same land for a commercial pond, I can earn between Tk 80,000 and Tk 120,000 annually. Crop farming carries the risk of losses if prices fall, but leasing land for ponds guarantees income.”
A landowner involved in excavating ponds on 40 bighas of farmland in Godagari, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that fish farming generates several times more profit than crop production and provides higher monthly income.
Under existing regulations, excavating ponds on cropland requires approval from the deputy commissioner’s office, following verification by the upazila agriculture officer and the Soil Resource Development Institute to ensure the land is not highly fertile. However, most pond excavations proceed without approval, often carried out at night.
Dr Azizur Rahman, additional director of Department of Agricultural Extension in Rajshahi division, said that illegal pond excavation has increased in Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon, and Chapainawabganj in recent years. “Fish traders from Rajshahi are now moving to neighbouring districts where land lease costs are lower,” he said.
He warned that pond excavation in the middle of agricultural fields causes waterlogging in surrounding land, making cultivation impossible. “Most farmers are marginal. Once a pond is dug, nearby fields often become unusable,” he added.
Agricultural experts caution that indiscriminate pond excavation destroys fertile topsoil, spreads infertile subsoil, and renders land unsuitable for cultivation. Poorly planned digging also increases the risk of diseases.
Professor Mohammad Al Baki Barkatullah of Department of Crop Science and Technology at Rajshahi University said: “In the short term, it may be profitable for a small group of people. But converting farmland into ponds threatens food production, farmers’ livelihoods, and long-term food security.”
Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Afia Akhter said pond excavation requires prior approval based on reports from upazila-level committees comprising agriculture and fisheries officials. “We are regularly conducting mobile court drives against illegal pond excavation,” she said.
