Dublar Char has been buzzed with activities as a large number of fishermen who have been engaged in fishing and drying fishes after netting them from the sea.
Aiming at the ensuing season of procuring fish and processing of dried-fish from Dublar Char on the Bay of Bengal, thousands of fishermen have thronged at Chila canal areas of the river Pashur at Mongla from Tuesday noon. With the withdrawal of the ban on hunting of the Hilsha fish on October 30, the fishermen began fishing from Dublar Char from early morning October 31.
By braving the possible catastrophes and natural disasters like cyclone, tidal bore and storm, those fishermen were ready to go with their boats, nets and materials for making dried fish to various remote char areas and the deep sea.
Forest Department officials informed permission will be given to build more than 1,000 temporary fishermen-cottage and more than 50 depots for wholesale fishermen-hoarders at the Dublar Char. Each cottage will be 28 feet in length and 12-feet wide.
According to sources, though for a long time the season of procurement and drying up of marine-fishes used to start at Dublar Char in October but due to imposing ban of fishing at the sea from October-7 to 30, the procurement of fish and dry-processing those will be started from the early morning of October-31.
Kamal Uddin Ahmed, General Secretary of 'Dubla Fishermen Group' said, without being protected against the possible damage by cyclone and tidal bore, seasonal fishermen have become ready to cruise through the sea to procure and process fish at the Dubla. He requested the law enforcement agency members to ensure security of those fishermen.
Fishermen and hoarders of fish at Chila informed, thousands of fishermen and wholesale fish traders will throng at Dublar Char of Sunderban, Meher Alir char, Alorkole, Officekilla, Majher killa, Shelar Char and Narikelbaria char to procure and process fish.
The Dubla fishermen Palli is comprised of eight chars inside the Sunderbans where dried fish are processed and marketed. Fishermen of those chars themselves arrange their cottage for living and storing fish, materials for fishing and making temporary depots and raised platforms or Manchas for drying of fishes. Those dried fishes are sent to various places of the country and even exported abroad.
Mahmudul Hasan, Divisional Forest Officer, Sunderban (east) informed, the fishermen will not be allowed to make their cottages or use as fuel the wood of the Sunderbans.
The fishermen have been instructed to carry required woods for making their cottages and the mancha with them. He said, stern action will be taken against those who will use wood of the Sunderbans for the purpose of making cottages or mancha and added, action will also be taken against those fishermen and the hoarders who will enter the Sunderbans area without procuring any permission from the concerned authorities. The DoF has also taken measures to ensure revenue collection from the fishermen, he added.