Local authorities formed a volunteer-based monitoring cell to protect fisheries and prevent irregularities after allegations of fish looting by politicians at Hakaluki Haor’s largest government water body, Haorkhal beel surface.
The committee was formed at a meeting held at the Borolekha Upazila Parishad seminar room and led by Assistant Commissioner (Land) Naima Nadia.
Acting on instructions from the district administration, the meeting decided that fish harvesting and khas collection would resume from Saturday under the supervision of the monitoring cell.
Naima Nadia said two assistant land officers had already been removed from duty over allegations of irregularities. A case has also been filed in connection with the looting.
“We have visited the site on Saturday and will take measures necessary to protect government fisheries,” she said.
UNO Galib Chowdhury said a case has been filed over the looting incident. He said the district commissioner arrived in Borolekha on Thursday evening and held an emergency meeting with political leaders.
“A committee has been formed. Another meeting will be held soon to take necessary action,” he said.
Multiple attempts to reach Moulvibazar’s newly appointed district commissioner, Touhiduzzaman Pavel, were unsuccessful. Phone calls went unanswered, and messages sent via WhatsApp received no reply.
Borolekha municipality BNP president Saiful Islam Khokon said he visited the site after hearing about the looting.
“I did not see the tahsildar but found several familiar BNP and Jamaat faces supervising the catch and sale,” he said.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Borolekha Upazila Nayeb-e-Ameer, Foysol Ahmad denied allegations of this party members and pointed fingers at others.
“When Haorkhal beel was placed under khas collection, we communicated with administration, calling for transparency in the process. We spoke to the UNO and the auctioneer and raised objections regarding irregularities. Instead of taking our concerns into account, the administration collaborated with leaders of a political party and carried out khas collection through looting,” he said.
For the past 17 days, fish worth at least Tk2 crore has allegedly been plundered from the beel.
On Tuesday, tensions over control of the beel and the looted fish escalated into a three-way chase on the banks of Haorkhal. A case was filed afterward with Borolekha Police Station.
The complainant, Birbal Kanti Chowdhury, an assistant union land officer, filed the case on Wednesday night against 40–50 unidentified individuals.
Following the incident, the district commissioner, Touhiduzzaman Pavel, imposed a ban on fish harvesting. However, despite the order, indiscriminate looting continued.
During a visit to the site on Friday, two teams of 25 fishermen each were found harvesting fish.
In the afternoon, one boat loaded with fish arrived at the bank. Nearly Tk55,000 worth of fish were auctioned on the spot in the presence of the designated auctioneer, despite the official ban.
When asked, Hakaluki Union Land Office auctioneer Yusuf Jaber claimed he was unaware of any prohibition.
Around 30–35 vehicles and several large drums were positioned to transport the fish.
Earlier on Tuesday, large quantities of fish were seen floating across the beel after looting. Videos of the looting also went viral on social media platforms.
Haorkhal, covering nearly 2,000 acres, is the largest water body under the government’s Gautaora Haorkhal Group (Bodd) jalmahal.
Following August 2024, Sonar Bangla Muktijoddha and Muktijoddhar Santan Cooperative filed a writ petition at the High Court through, challenging the new lease. The High Court stayed the lease, sending the water body into khas collection.
Localsw allege influential political leaders, in collusion with the Haor’s auctioneer and local administration, have built makeshift structures along the banks and have been looting fish worth lakhs of taka every day, while paying only token revenue.
Over the past 17 days, fish worth at least Tk2 crore are believed to have been looted, of which just Tk15–16 lakh reached the state coffers.
