Princh Mondal Olif, Bagerhat District Correspondent:

Continuous heavy rainfall for four consecutive days has caused widespread waterlogging across Bagerhat district, submerging more than 7,000 fish farms. Shrimp and various freshwater fish have escaped from the flooded enclosures, leaving thousands of fish farmers facing heavy financial losses estimated at hundreds of crores of taka.

According to preliminary information from the Department of Fisheries, the worst-affected areas are Fakirhat, Chitalmari, Mollahat, Mongla, Rampal and Morelganj upazilas. Continuous rainfall raised water levels in rivers, canals and low-lying areas, causing embankments around fish farms to collapse. As a result, shrimp, rohu, catla, mrigal and other fish escaped into open water.

Affected farmers said they had invested in fish farming with loans from banks and NGOs. However, the unexpected flooding has washed away a large part of their investment, leaving many worried about repaying their loans.

Fish farmer Kazi Mirajul Islam from Fakirhat said, "The water inside my fish farm rose to knee level. We tried to save the fish by installing nets and using water hyacinth, but most of the fish eventually escaped."

A farmer from Mollahat said he lost fish worth millions of taka after two large fish farms, along with several nearby farms, were submerged. Similar reports of heavy losses have also come from Chitalmari, Rampal and Mongla.

Meanwhile, many local residents have been catching fish with traditional nets from the flooded areas, adding to the losses suffered by fish farmers.

After visiting the affected areas, local leaders urged the government to provide emergency financial assistance, waive interest on bank loans, suspend NGO loan repayments and introduce rehabilitation support for the affected farmers.

The District Fisheries Officer said the department is assessing the extent of the damage. Farmers have also been advised to strengthen and raise the embankments around fish farms and improve drainage systems to reduce future losses.

Local residents believe that unless the affected farmers receive immediate rehabilitation support, easy loans and effective disaster management assistance, fish production in the district could decline significantly in the coming season. They also warn that the increasing frequency of such disasters due to climate change poses a serious threat to Bagerhat's fisheries-based economy.