As the lingering effects of Cyclone Arnab cleared away, vibrant life and energy returned to the Dublar Char dry fish village in East Sundarbans. Although adverse weather had kept fishermen grounded for nearly two days, they cast off into the sea in full swing from Sunday morning.
Immediately upon casting their nets, fishermen were greeted with an abundance of fish, creating a festive atmosphere across the coastal dry fish villages of Alorkol, Majherkilla, Narkelbaria, and Shalar Char within the Sharankhola range.
The sea yielded generous catches of various species, including Bombay duck, ribbon fish, Laksha, pomfret, coral, and Jaba. The sudden bounty brought smiles of joy to the faces of fishermen, bahaddars (fleet owners), and merchants.
They remain hopeful that if weather conditions continue to be favourable, they will be able to recover at least a portion of their financial losses and debt burdens accumulated during the previous season.
A bustling hub of coastal commerce
According to figures from the Forest Department, the Dubla Fishermen Village spans an area of approximately 81 square miles under Dublar Char in the East Sundarbans.
The coastal char serves as the primary engine of the nation’s dried fish economy, generating around 80 per cent of Bangladesh’s total dry fish output. The annual five-month season traditionally commences in late October and runs through to the end of March.
The ongoing season officially started on 30 October and is scheduled to conclude on 31 March.
To participate in dry fish production and trade this season, more than 10,000 fishermen, bahaddars, mahajans (wholesalers), and seasonal traders have gathered across four chars of Dubla.
To facilitate their stay and commercial operations, the Forest Department granted permission for the construction of 1,018 temporary residential huts, 67 depots for fish storage and business activities, and 116 shops selling daily necessities.
Busy nets and the looming shadow of pirates
Md Zakir Sheikh, general secretary of Rampal Fishermen’s Association in Alorkol, explained that fishermen headed out to sea with their fleet of boats as soon as the weather normalised following the cyclone.
He noted that nets were drawing in plenty of fish and expressed optimism that the season would turn out well provided the heavy catches continue and no major disaster strikes ahead.
Describing the intense pace of work, Abdur Rauf Member, president of Chakla Fishermen Co-operative Society, observed that fishermen currently have no time to rest.
Hundreds of boats are actively fishing at sea, while trawlers transport the harvested fish to the dry fish villages, where workers are working around the clock to unload, wash, sort, and dry the fish amid widespread cheer.
Md Kamal Uddin Ahmed, freedom fighter and president of Dubla Fishermen Group, pointed out that although the season opened amidst anxieties surrounding Cyclone Arnab, the improving sea weather allowed fishermen to catch fish in large quantities.
He expressed confidence that if the current catch rate persists, mahajans will be able to clear their debt liabilities from last year’s losses.
However, he highlighted that alongside the relief over plentiful catches, deep concern remains over pirate threats, as fishermen risk vulnerability to attacks, kidnappings, and ransom demands at sea and within the Sundarbans.
He added that the Fishermen Group has formally submitted applications to the district administration, Coast Guard, SRB, and senior police authorities seeking effective measures to curb pirate activities.
Conservation rules and revenue targets
On the ground, preparation work continues as fishermen set up temporary shelters and fish-drying racks, a task expected to take another day or two to complete.
Md Khalilur Rahman, forest ranger in charge of the Dubla Fishermen Village Special Patrol Post, mentioned that fishermen resumed sea operations on Sunday without wanting to waste any time and are now busily engaged in processing the harvested fish into dried produce.
Emphasising environmental protection, Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, divisional forest officer of Sundarbans East Forest Division in Bagerhat, instructed fishermen to bring all necessary local materials with them for constructing temporary huts.
He made it clear that no trees or forest vegetation from the Sundarbans may be used for shelter construction.
He also added that the Forest Department has set a revenue collection target of Tk8 crore from Dublar Char for the current season, compared to Tk7.37 crore collected in revenue from the char during the 2025-26 fiscal year.
