New Market at Dublar Char: A 5-month saga of pain & pleasure
Farrukh Khosru :
It closely resembles a traditional rural market in Bangladesh but operates for only five months each year, specifically catering to the needs of fishermen during their brief stay on Dublar Char, a remote island near the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans.
Endearingly referred to by the residents as the ‘New Market,’ it serves as the lifeline for these temporary inhabitants.
Dublar Char, a remote island in the Bay of Bengal, is widely recognised as Sutki Palli (Dried Fish Village). The island lies along the Bay’s shores, surrounded by Alorkol, Narkel Baria, Shelarchar, and Meheralir Char, some of the region’s richest marine fishing zones.
Each year, thousands of fishermen and dried fish traders flock to this area to harvest and prepare dried fish.
This season, an estimated 35,000 individuals have gathered, residing in makeshift huts across the islands. The season typically begins in the first week of November (5–7 Kartik in the Bangla calendar) and continues until early April (around 15 Chaitra).
A visitor from Dhaka’s Uttara, currently on a trip to the Sundarbans, found his way to Dublar Char and purchased dried fish at prices comparable to those in Dhaka’s markets.
Yet, the experience of buying directly from the heart of Sutki Palli brought a genuine smile to his face.
From barbershops to second-hand clothing stalls, the ‘New Market’ in Alorkol, Dublar Char, serves as an essential hub for fishermen. The prices are reasonable, no doubt.
Here, the fishermen buy necessities and gifts for their loved ones, making the most of their modest earnings to support family members residing in mainland villages across various districts of Bangladesh.
The fishermen are required to pay Tk 10 per kilogram of fish as revenue to the government. Shopkeepers, too, must pay a lump sum as revenue, which varies depending on the nature of their business, personal identity, and the amount of space they occupy.
For instance, a dispensary shop pays as little as Tk 300 for the five-month season while some shops are charged as much as Tk 3,000 to Tk 4,000, based on their business type and profitability.
Interestingly, an imam of the local mosque enjoys an exemption from revenue for his tailoring shop, as he leads the five daily prayers for the Muslim residents of the area.
A remarkable aspect of the New Market is the strong bond between sellers and buyers, fostering a sense of intimacy and mutual respect, regardless of their religion or social standing.
Most shopkeepers sell their goods on credit, trusting that payments will be made once the fishermen return to their home villages at the end of the season.
When discussing business security, the shopkeepers mentioned that the entire operation is overseen by the transport (trawler) owners’ association and fisherman group, led by Kamal Shaheb (Kamal Uddin Ahmed), brother of the late Sundarbans’ legendary leader, Major Ziauddin.
However, the scenic beauty of Dublar Char conceals a lurking danger that belies their serene appearance. Cyclones and storms originating in the Bay invariably strike Dublar Char first, making it highly vulnerable to natural calamities.
Most of these disasters occur between September and December, coinciding with the peak fishing season.
Residents of Dublar Char therefore remain constantly vigilant for warnings of impending disasters. The call for constructing cyclone shelters to ensure safety during such events is almost unheeded.
Another critical challenge is the severe shortage of safe drinking water in the area. Although a few wells have been dug, they often become contaminated as rainwater accumulates, making the water unsafe for consumption.
In these circumstances, trawlers need to transport water from distant locations, further compounding the difficulties faced by the community.