Tk18cr fish landing facility in Lakshmipur remains abandoned for 2 years

A fish landing centre constructed at a cost of around Tk18 crore on the bank of the River Meghna in Ramgati upazila of Lakshmipur has remained out of operation for over two years, depriving local fishermen and fish traders of its services while resulting in a loss of government revenue.

The Ramgati Fisheries Landing Centre was inaugurated in 2022 and remained operational for around two years before its activities came to a halt in 2024. Md Alamgir Hossain, the first manager of the centre, was transferred in early 2024. No replacement officer has been posted there afterwards, resulting in the suspension of its activities.

According to the upazila fisheries office, the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) established the centre on 2.70 acres of land at Brijghat in Boyarchar area of Chargazi union to facilitate the landing, preservation, processing and marketing of fish brought from the sea and the River Meghna.

The project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on 15 October 2016. Construction was completed in 2021 and operations began in mid-2022.

The centre has a pontoon and gangway for landing fish from trawlers, a 1,000-square-foot auction shed, packaging facilities, a storage room, an ice factory, a generator room, an office building, drainage facilities and a 7,000-square-foot truck stand. 

Residential quarters were also constructed on the premises. Local fishermen, fish traders and shopkeepers said the centre had created business opportunities for hundreds of people, including fishermen, wholesalers, retailers, transport workers, ice factory operators and fuel and grocery traders.

They said the area had become busy with the buying and selling of hilsa and other fish after the centre opened. But it has remained virtually deserted for the past two years, with buildings and equipment worth crores of taka lying unused.

Although the centre was designed to employ 10 people, only two, including a night guard, are currently working there, according to officials.

Mir Hasan Mahmud Mamun, general secretary of the National Fishermen's Association of Ramgati upazila unit, questioned the authorities' decision to spend Tk18 crore on a facility that has remained unused for years. “Assets worth crores of taka are lying idle. We demand that the centre's activities be resumed immediately,” he said.

Jahangir Alam, in-charge of the Ramgati Fisheries Landing Centre, said its operations had been completely suspended due to political and social circumstances. “There is a plan to resume the activities after the local government elections. Our head office is in contact with us regarding the reopening of the centre,” he said.

Md Badruddouja, deputy director of the BFDC headquarters, said the centre had not been operational since 5 August. He attributed the disruption to repeated transfers of the BFDC chairman. “A new chairman joined a few days ago. Everything will be fine from now on,” he said.