Thousands of fishermen families are living in semi-starvation due to the ban on fishing in the Naf River of Teknaf Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, citing the pretext of Yaba and Rohingya infiltration.

Fishing by fishermen has been suspended indefinitely in the wake of the influx of Rohingyas fleeing from the violence in Rakhine, Myanmar.

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Subsequently, the government imposed a ban from October 1 to October 22, 2017. Although fishing resumed in various rivers and the sea across the country from October 23, the ban on fishing in the Naf River of Teknaf remains in force.

However, the smuggling of Yaba and Rohingya infiltration have not stopped. The continuous suspension of fishing has brought misery to the fishermen families dependent on the Naf River.

The fishermen families are facing hardship due to the lack of alternative sources of income. It has been reported that many are struggling to provide two meals a day. The ban on fishing has led to a scarcity of fish in the markets along the Naf River.

Moreover, there is a relatively low availability of freshwater fish in Teknaf. As a result, the entire Upazila is dependent on the fish from the Naf River and the sea.

On the fishermen dependent on the Naf River shared their plight. Harun Ur Rashid, a fisherman from Hnila Phuler Dail, said, "I have been fishing in the river as a professional fisherman since the beginning of my career.

For years, I have been earning my livelihood by casting nets in the Naf River. Never before has fishing been suspended for such a long time. When the violence in Rakhine State, its impact fell on the fishermen within our border. Unable to fish, we are forced to live a miserable life with our families.

Although the government promised to rehabilitate the fishermen, no assistance has reached the fishermen families yet.

Kashiram Das, a fisherman from Hnila, said, "Due to the ban on fishing in the Naf River, we have no income. As a result, even if we manage to eat one meal, we struggle to eat the next. We used to meet the needs of our families by fishing and catching crabs in the river. When we go to fish in the Naf River, the BGB personnel obstruct us and inform us that there is an 'order from above' to stop fishing."

Fish trader, Yusuf Ali said, "We used to buy fish from the fishermen and sell it in the market to run our families. Now, with the ban on fishing, it is very difficult to make ends meet. We are also unable to do any alternative work."

In this way, 10683 fishermen and their families in Teknaf upazila, dependent on the Naf River, have been living a miserable life for 7 years. The fishermen families have appealed to the concerned government authorities to lift the ban on fishing in the Naf River soon.

In this regard, Md. Delwar Hossain, Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer of Teknaf, said, "Fishing in the Naf River has been suspended on government orders to prevent violence in Myanmar, and Rohingya infiltration."

It is noteworthy that in the ongoing session of the parliament, Shahin Akter, the Member of Parliament for Ukhiya-Teknaf, requested the Home Minister to allow the fishermen to fish in the Naf River.

End//voice7news.tv

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