Even after one week since the 22-day ban against ilish fishing, thousands of fishermen’s families in the southern region are still waiting to receive government rice assistance.
Mentionable, each of the 3,40,000 registered fishermen families will receive 25kg per family for a period. But many families are struggling to survive amid a severe financial crisis.
However, the Divisional Department of Fisheries claimed 79% of the rice allocated under the government’s VGF program has been distributed in the Barisal division.
According to their data, out of the target of 8,500 tons of rice distribution, already 6,718 tons of rice have been distributed among the fishermen.
According to the departmental information about the district-wise breakdown of the division shows that 100% rice has been distributed in Barguna and Pirojpur, 96% in Jhalakathi, 70% in Bhola and Patuakhali and 60% in Barisal district.
Anisuzzaman, senior assistant director of the Barisal Divisional Fisheries Office, said the Fisheries Department is not directly involved in the distribution process.
“The union parishads prepare the list of beneficiaries and manage the distribution,” he said.
“Around 80% of the rice has already reached the union parishad level and distribution is underway in many areas,” he claimed.
But journalists, after field-level visits, found consignments of rice had mostly reached up to the union parishad level. The actual distribution of rice to the fishermen is still slow.
In several fishing villages, many have borrowed money to make ends meet, and even defied fishing bans, leading to clashes with law enforcement agencies in some areas.
Yusuf Ali Sardar, a fisherman from Bukhainagar village in Barisal Sadar upazila, alleged that many fishermen have been left off the government list.
“Even those who have been listed are getting only 25kg of rice – how will we feed our families with that?” Yusuf Ali asked.
In Muladi upazila, members of the Manta community – who depend on fishing but do not have official fisherman cards – protested outside the local fisheries office on Tuesday.
Upazila Fisheries Officer Abul Bashar said the Manta community was not included in the previous list, but efforts are now underway to register them.
Al-Mamun, joint secretary of Hizla Upazila Small Fishermen Association, complained that although 6,000 fishermen’s cards have been issued in Hizla, but many fishermen are still missing from the list.
Some rice has just arrived at the local union council and distribution has begun, Al-Mamun acknowledged.
In Char Fashion upazila under Bhola district, Nannu Mia, president of the local small fishermen association, said that out of 47,953 registered fishermen of the district, only 35,000 have been enlisted for rice assistance.
“The rice has arrived in four unions, but it will take a few more days for the fishermen to get it,” he said.
So illegal fishing continues in the early hours of the day in parts of the Chandpur, Hizla, Tulatuli and Meghna rivers.
Bhola Sadar Upazila Fisheries Officer Majnu Mia said that out of the 5,000 fishermen registered, 3,000 have already received distribution cards and rice is scheduled to be distributed from Saturday.
Alauddin Hawlader, a fisherman in Bhola’s Tulatuli river area, said: “For the past three months, we have been returning empty-handed. Now, due to this ban, we are in dire straits. Even those who get some rice cannot support their families—they are being forced to take loans.”
Nasir Uddin Hawlader, chairman of Memania Union Parishad in Hizla, said 33 fisherman cards have been issued in his union and 84 tons of rice have been allocated for distribution from Saturday.
