The district administration of Rangamati has imposed a ban on all types of fishing in Kaptai Lake to ensure proper breeding, reproduction, and natural distribution of released fish fry.
The decision was made on Monday afternoon at a meeting chaired by Nazma Ashrafi, president of the Kaptai Lake Management and Operation Committee and District Commissioner of Rangamati, bringing together all stakeholders involved in fisheries development, harvesting, and marketing.
According to the decision, all fishing, transport, and marketing of fish in the lake will remain completely suspended from midnight of 24 April until further notice.
Although fishing will remain closed from midnight of 24 April to 31 July, the meeting informed that fish already caught can be landed at the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) ghat until 4pm on 25 April.
The process of releasing new fish fry into the lake will begin from 2 May.
During the ban period, regular patrols will be conducted by the river police and BFDC in coordination to prevent illegal fishing in the lake. Temporary checkposts will be set up at key points, while mobile court operations will also continue.
The administration has warned that strict legal action will be taken against anyone violating the ban.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock is implementing a humanitarian programme in the 2025-26 fiscal year to assist affected fishing families in Rangamati and Khagrachhari districts during the ban period.
Under the programme, a total of 26,845 fishing families have been allocated rice, providing 40kg per family (20kg per month for two months), totalling 1,073.80 tonnes.
Additionally, Tk37,58,330 has been allocated to the District Commissioners of Rangamati and Khagrachhari at the rate of Tk350 per family for transport costs associated with distributing food aid.
Through this initiative, the government is playing an effective role in ensuring food security for fishing families during the ban period and supporting their livelihoods, officials said.
