SUSHANTA GHOSH, from Bhola

Nearly half of the fishermen in Bhola are being deprived of the government’s rice assistance amid the ongoing ban on fishing.

Officials concerned said a shortage of rice has prompted the situation.

Faced with uncertainty looming over their livelihood while not being provided assistance, many fishermen are forced to catch fish illegally, defying the ban, while others are largely relying on borrowed money to meet daily expenses.

Visiting the fishers’ community in Shibpur union of Bhola Sadar upazila, this correspondent witnessed a grim situation.

Fishermen alleged that around 1,700 out of nearly 3,000 of them living in the area have not received government rice support during the ongoing fishing ban. As a result, many families are struggling to remain afloat.

“The two-month ban has been in place since March, but many of us have not received the government’s rice support yet. We passed a very difficult Eid,” said fisherman Md Yousuf.

Most fishermen had to borrow from NGOs and local moneylenders to survive, said Hadis Mia, another fisherman.

Residents of the fishing village said they are uncertain when the rice assistance will arrive.

Due to the financial hardship, some fishermen are continuing to catch fish illegally in the Meghna river, defying the ban, reportedly by managing local authorities, alleged locals.

Ranu Begum, a union parishad member, confirmed that around 1,700 local fishers did not receive rice assistance despite having official fishing cards.

According to sources at the Department of Fisheries in Bhola, although there are around 1,68,000 fishermen in the district, only 90,200 are currently receiving assistance.

Due to a shortage of rice in government warehouses, distribution has not been possible in Sadar, Charfesson, and Lalmohan upazilas yet, leaving more than half of the district’s fishermen without support, said the sources.

Md Iqbal Hasan, district fisheries officer in Bhola, said, “A shipment of rice has arrived at the port, and we are trying to ensure distribution among fishermen as soon as possible.”