Khulna authorities dismantle illegal fishing barriers in Amtala River following lease controversy

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Khulna district authorities conducted a large-scale operation on Saturday to dismantle illegal fishing structures in the Amtala River, clearing approximately 15,000 meters of banned netting. The joint initiative, led by the Batiaghata Upazila administration alongside the fisheries department and local police, targeted 16 distinct locations along the waterway to restore the natural flow of the river. The confiscated bamboo poles and nets were subsequently transported to a nearby union parishad complex and destroyed.

The crackdown followed a report published by Prothom Alo, which highlighted the environmental and economic degradation caused by the classification of the Amtala as a “closed water body.” Although legally designated as a river, the waterway was leased out by the Khulna district administration in 2023 to the Gangrampur Fishermen’s Cooperative Society for an annual fee of 110,000 taka. Local residents reported that the six-year lease allowed for the installation of invasive net structures, which choked the water flow, hindered irrigation, and crippled the livelihoods of those dependent on the river for agriculture and fishing.

Batiaghata Upazila Executive Officer Thandar Kamruzzaman confirmed that the operation was carried out in accordance with directives from the district administration and noted that such enforcement efforts are part of a routine strategy to maintain environmental compliance. Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer Selim Sultan added that the scale of the debris removed underscores the severity of the obstruction, which had effectively segmented the nine-kilometer waterway.

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While local advocacy groups have lauded the removal of the nets as a positive initial step, they argue that deeper systemic changes are required to fully address the damage. Bibhas Mondal, general secretary of the Batiaghata River and Canal Protection Committee, emphasized that the temporary clearing of nets is insufficient without a permanent resolution to the underlying lease agreement. He urged authorities to cancel the controversial lease, restore the river’s status as an open-access water body, and implement continuous oversight to prevent future encroachments. Residents remain hopeful that the move signals a shift toward permanently securing the river for public use rather than private exploitation.