Like every year, hundreds of people from nearby villages and town flocked to Burir Badh dam area in Thakurgaon district to catch fish as the sluice gate of the dam was opened on Monday, allowing fishermen and local people to catch fish in the water body.
They were enjoying the annual fishing festival at the old dam of Sukh River located between Chilarong and Akcha Unions under Sadar Upazila of the district. The authorities opened the gates of the dam on Monday afternoon. Since then, the fishing festival started.
On Tuesday, it was seen that hundreds of people started gathering in the dam area from early morning with nets, polo, fish containers and other fishing traps. Some were fishing in rafts while some in small boats. This is like a fishing festival. Friends and relatives were encouraging the fish hunters by standing on the dam.
Hundreds of people from nearby areas have come to Burir Badh, which is about 10 kms from Thakurgaon town, for fishing. Men, women and children joined group fishing with different fishing traps, including nets. Those who do not have fishing equipment go down into water to catch fish with bare hands.
Many people also went there just to see and buy fish. But compared to previous years, people were not getting a good quantity of fish this time.
However, everyone who came to catch fish complained that they did not get fish. No one is getting the desired quantity of fish even after casting the net since night. Native species of fish are on the verge of extinction. A large quantity of local fish was caught in this dam even a few years ago. But now there is no fish. At the beginning of the season, local people use current nets and ring nets to catch fish. Many people think that native species of fish are on the way to extinction for using banned nets.
On the other hand, buyers who go to buy local fish from the town said that the price of fish here is much higher than in the district town. Local fish is not available here. A small quantity of fish is available but the price is high. Puti fish is being sold at Tk 300-400 per kg. So many buyers are returning home disappointed not being able to buy fish.
Food hotels, fruit shops, toy and cosmetic shops are set up around the fishing festival. A temporary garage has also been created to store motorcycles and bicycles of people coming from outside.
Sources said Bangladesh Water Development Board constructed the water reservoir in the area in the year 1951-52 for the irrigation of agricultural land in the region during the drought season. Every year, different types of fish fries are released in the water trapped in the reservoir by the initiative of the Department of Fisheries. Akcha and Chilarang Union Parishads take care of the fish fry.
Water Development Board’s Thakurgaon Executive Engineer Md Golam Zakaria said that the Burir Dam was constructed around 1951-52 years for irrigation purpose. “There is a fish enclosure in front of the dam. Every year when the sluice gate of the dam was opened, many people flock there for fishing. We think that the demand for protein will be fulfilled to some extent through the fishes,” he said.
