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Wednesday | October 07, 2026 | Dhaka

Fish shortage in Teesta, fishermen changing professions

 Rangpur Bureau
 Published: 12:01 AM, 07 October 2026

Once upon a time, fishermen would take boats to Teesta at dawn. When they cast their nets, various species of native fish including tengra, bowal, pabda, shing, and putti would emerge. The income from selling that fish would support the family and the education of their children.

However, with time, the lives of fishermen on the banks of the river have changed due to the decrease in fish in Teesta.

Now, even after casting nets all day, many times not even a kilogram of fish can be caught. Many cannot even afford to go to the river. As a result, fishermen are being forced to abandon their ancestral profession and take up jobs like daily wages, agricultural labor, brick kilns, or driving auto rickshaws.

The Teesta river flows through Rangpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, and Gaibandha districts. The once-slow river was full of biodiversity.

Thousands of fishermen used to make a living by catching fish. Lakhs of people used to fish and earn their living by fishing along the Teesta River.

There are 13,188 fishponds in Rangpur district. Of these, 1,505 are in Gangajra, 687 in Taraganj, 1546 in Badarganj, 925 in Sadar, 1338 in Kaunia, 1542 in Pirgachha, 3246 in Mithapukur, and 2399 in Pirganj.

According to the information of the Rajarhat Upazila Fisheries Department, the number of registered fishing families in the upazila is 1,767. Of these, 686 fishing families in Bidyananda, Gharialdanga, and Nazimkhan unions on the banks of the Teesta are in the worst crisis. Of these families, 175 are in Bidyananda Union, 380 in Gharialdanga, and 131 in Nazimkhan.

The fishermen said that since they are not getting fish like before, they are not even paying the cost of going to the river.

Excluding boat fuel, net repair, and other expenses, they have little money in hand.

So many people have reduced their trips to the river. Some are daily wage earners, some are working as agricultural laborers. Some are making a living in brick kilns, driving autorickshaws or catching fish in other people’s ponds.

Abdul Jalil, a fisherman from the Paramaula area of Bidyananda Union, said, “There is almost no fish in the river. Earlier, I used to fish for my sons and daughters.

Now I have to work on other people’s land. Sometimes I have to go to Dhaka to work and support my family.”

Bijoy, a fisherman from Tayyabkhan Mouza in the same union, said that since there is not enough fish in the river, he sometimes gets work fishing in ponds.

Even if he earns a little from there, it does not cover his family’s expenses properly.

A fisherman from Gharialdanga Union said, “I have changed my profession, but there is no work all year round. My family is spending my days in hardship due to the decrease in income.”

According to the fishermen, the navigability of the river has decreased due to the accumulation of sand and silt in the Teesta.

The rise of chars in various places has reduced the flow of water and the area for fish to roam. As a large part of the river turns into sandbars during the dry season, the normal movement and reproduction of fish is also being disrupted.

Rajarhat Upazila Fisheries Officer Md. Emdadul Haque said that due to river pollution, reduced navigability and climate change, the time and environment required for fish reproduction are decreasing. This is also reducing fish production.

This is directly affecting fishermen. Less fish are being caught in their nets compared to before. Due to the decrease in fish, not only the income and livelihood of fishermen has decreased, but this river-dependent profession that has been passed down for generations has also been in crisis.

Fishermen demand that it is important to restore the normal flow of water in the Teesta, ensure a suitable environment for fish reproduction and migration, and provide alternative employment opportunities for river-dependent families. Otherwise, the long-standing profession and livelihood of many families on the Teesta banks may be lost along with the fish crisis.

Rangpur Zonal Fisheries Officer Md. Habbiur Rahman Talukder said that the water level in the river is 13188. The river is completely dry. Due to lack of water in the river, the water level has become very low.