Madhaikhal beel, which lies on 157 acres of land in Kurigram’s Nageshwari upazila in Bangladesh, 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.
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.
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.
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/leased-out-non-fishermen-fishermen-deprived-2939781