Photo : BSS

BAGERHAT, Sept 8, 2025 (BSS) - Nestled at the edge of the Sundarbans in the country's southern coastal belt, Bagerhat has emerged as Bangladesh's second-largest producer of shrimp popularly known as "white gold", contributing 27 percent of the national output.

Although brackish water is naturally more suitable for shrimp cultivation, the use of modern technology has expanded farming into freshwater areas, opening up new economic opportunities. 

Once fallow lands are now being leased by educated unemployed youths, who are increasingly turning to shrimp aquaculture for livelihood.

Bagerhat's famed Bagda shrimp has gained global reputation as a delicacy. Its major markets include the United States, European Union countries, particularly the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the Netherlands along with the Middle East, India, Canada and Australia. 

Locally, Bagda has become a must-have item at weddings and festive occasions.

In the 2023-24 fiscal year, Bagerhat district produced a total of 20,940.30 metric tons of Bagda shrimp from 55,159.27 hectares of land, generating sales worth Tk 2,094 crore. 

Alongside shrimp, the district also sold Rui, Katla and Mrigel fish worth Tk 421 crore, further strengthening its fisheries economy.

In terms of upazila-wise production, Bagerhat Sadar topped the list with 6,899 metric tons of shrimp harvested from 7,673 hectares across 4,480 enclosures. 

Kachua upazila produced 757 metric tons from 1,333.5 hectares in 2,856 enclosures, while Morelganj contributed a remarkable 7,424 metric tons from 12,800 hectares in 8,750 enclosures.

Chitalmari upazila reported 1,453 metric tons of production from 969.77 hectares and 2,493 enclosures, whereas Fakirhat upazila yielded 1,595.6 metric tons from 1,061 hectares of farmland. In Mollahat, 1,187 metric tons were harvested from 513 hectares through 1,814 enclosures.

Meanwhile, Rampal produced 1,201 metric tons of shrimp from 13,129 hectares and Mongla registered 1,467 metric tons from 13,611 hectares. Sharankhola, though comparatively smaller in scale, contributed 23 metric tons of shrimp from 51 hectares and 76 enclosures.

Speaking to BSS, Kachua Fisheries Office Field Assistant Sumana Saha said that cultivating Bagda shrimp on one acre costs about Tk 1 lakh, while the market return is Tk 2.3 lakh, leaving farmers with a net profit of Tk 1.3 lakh.

Kachua Marine Fisheries Officer Dipankar Kumar Chakraborty explained that using bleaching powder to purify water and stocking enclosures with virus-free SPF fry can prevent disease. 

Nursing the fry for 30 to 45 days reduces mortality, while maintaining pond depth between 3.5 and 5 feet enhances growth. Bagda thrives best in salinity levels of around 12 ppt and is ready for harvest within 90 to 120 days, he added.

Bagerhat District Fisheries Officer Dr. Abul Kalam Azad told BSS that Bangladesh is now among the world's safest shrimp-producing countries. With Bagda shrimp recognized as a Geographical Indication (GI) product, he said it is rightly considered "white gold," fetching premium prices and driving economic empowerment.

He added that in addition to shrimp, the district produced 1,911 metric tons of hilsa last year, further boosting export earnings and employment through the fisheries sector.