Photo: BSS

RAJSHAHI, Aug 2, 2026 (BSS)- Rajshahi Division  has emerged as one of Bangladesh’s leading freshwater fish-producing regions, expanding its market across the country after meeting local demand.

Fresh water fish from Rajshahi is now being supplied to at least 25 districts across the country, including Dhaka. Neighbouring India is also a big market of Bangladeshi processed fish mostly supplied from Rajshahi, concerned sources said.

Massive farming of indigenous species including Rui, Katla and Mrigal has created a silent revolution in the rural economy of North Bengal.
 
Saifuddin Yahia, Director of the Rajshahi Divisional Fisheries Department, said fish farming is being done in a total of 449,653 ponds in the eight districts of Rajshahi division, involving about 1.65 lakh people and producing over five lakh metric tons of fish a year.

Official sources said after meeting local demand, about 150,000 metric tons of fish is being supplied from Rajshahi to different parts of the country. About 300,000 people are employed in this sector.
 
Natore and Naogaon are in the top in producing carp-type freshwater fish production. Every day more than five hundred trucks carry aquatic fish from Rajshahi to different parts of the country.

At least 50 trucks of freshwater fish go to the capital and other cities every day from Parila village in Paba upazila of the district alone. From Parila village, about 50 trucks of freshwater fish go daily to Dhaka and other districts.
 
Mosharraf Hossain, a local resident of Parila village involved with fish business, is sending live fish in aquatic system to Dhaka and other districts for 14 years. He has ponds on about 22 bighas of land.

“Once, our business was limited only in Rajshahi. Later, we started taking live fish to Dhaka and other districts by truck for better businesses,” he said.
 
“Under this system we get a good price,” he said adding he can carry 1,200 kg of fish in one truck to Dhaka’s New Market and sell at around Taka three lakh.

Stakeholders said that the demand for Rajshahi fish is highest in the market because live fish are supplied in oxygenated water in trucks using a special process. On an average, different verities worth about Taka 20 crore is sold daily from Rajshahi.

As farmers are not getting the expected profit from crops and other agricultural products, they are turning to digging commercial ponds, he said.

According to fishery officials, previously fish farming was done only in Rajshahi using a mixed method (Katla, Silver Carp and indigenous small fish along with Rui), but now it has spread across the division.

In addition, the scope of commercial farming of local verities of Pabda, Shing, Koi and Magur has also increased. Pabda fish from Rajshahi is being regularly exported to India.
 
To increase the technical skills of farmers, the Department of Fisheries is giving training to more than 1500 farmers a year on modern pisciculture and safety.

However, farmers said that production costs have increased a lot recently due to the rise in fish feed prices and truck fares.

Government support to control the price of fish feed and financial incentive can make the sector more vibrant, they said.