Cyclone Remal has caused severe damage to the coastal regions of Bangladesh, particularly affecting Khulna, where tidal surges on Sunday night led to the loss of fish worth an estimated Tk168.56 crore.

According to Khulna district administration, a total of 8,875 shrimp enclosures and ponds in Koyra, Dacope, and Paikgacha upazilas were inundated. This resulted in the flooding of 5,575 fish enclosures on 7,283 hectares of land and 3,300 ponds on 307 hectares, washing away 1,835 tons of white fish and 1,724 tons of shrimp.

Khulna Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Md Nazmul Hussain Khan confirmed the losses. Aminur Sardar, a fish enclosure owner in Paikgacha’s Sonadana area, reported losing shrimp worth Tk12-15 lakh due to the storm. Sheikh Abul Kalam Azad, Sonadana Union Parishad Member, mentioned that all enclosures in the Soladana bill area were destroyed, causing severe financial strain on local farmers.

In addition to the fisheries, crops on 12,715 hectares of land in Khulna were damaged by the cyclone. The affected crops include 1,750.5 hectares of Aush paddy, 1,356 hectares of jute, 575.5 hectares of vegetables, and eight hectares of watermelons.

Kazi Jahangir Alam, director of the Khulna district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), provided detailed statistics on the crop damage. He noted that out of 12,748 hectares of cultivated land, 12,715 hectares were affected by the cyclone. Other impacted crops include 54 hectares of Aush seedlings, 485 hectares of sesame, 270 hectares of Mugdal, 175 hectares of chilli, 33 hectares of ginger, 203 hectares of turmeric, 30 hectares of groundnut, 1.5 hectares of maize, 310 hectares of papaya, 545 hectares of banana, 877 hectares of betel nut, and 72 hectares of sugarcane.

Azad Ali, a green chilli grower in Dumuria, expressed his concerns as stormy rains left his fields waterlogged. He fears that his three bigha of chilli crops will be ruined if the water does not recede soon.