Rangamati Correspondent

After a long 105-day ban, fishing has resumed in Kaptai Lake in Rangamati. On the first day after the ban expired, a record amount of fish was caught, exceeding the target, and a huge amount of revenue was earned.

Fishermen again cast their nets in the lake from 12:01 am on August 10. Fishermen, traders and workers started working at the fish landing centers and warehouses from dawn. Due to the long ban on fishing, this time a lot of small fish including kachki, chapila and other indigenous fish are being caught in the lake, along with large-sized katla, kalbaush and aider.

According to BFDC sources, a total of 193 metric tons of fish were caught in the four ghats of Rangamati on the first day of the 2026-27 fiscal year, which is about 54 percent more than the first day of the last fiscal year. The record amount of fish has earned the government treasury more than Tk 42 lakh 40 thousand in a single day.

The fish came from different areas of Kaptai Lake including Baghaichhari, Longdu, Barkal, Bilaichhari, Maini, Shuvolong, Gachkata Chhatra and Rainkhong Canal. After paying the duty, the traders are storing the fish in ice and sending it to different areas of Chittagong, Dhaka and North Bengal.

Rangamati BFDC Manager Commander Md. Faiz Al Karim said that a large number of fish arrived at the landing ghat of Rangamati BFDC on the first day as fishing resumed after a three-month ban on fishing in Kaptai Lake. He expressed hope that although the size is a little small this time, the size of the fish will increase in the next few days.

Incidentally, a ban on fish harvesting, marketing and transportation was imposed from April 25 to July 31 of this year to increase fish reproduction and production in Kaptai Lake. Later, considering the water situation in the lake, the ban was extended until midnight on August 10. After the ban ended, fishing in the lake resumed from midnight on Monday.