Sundarbans, the protector, threatened by poison

The Sundarbans is facing severe cyclones one after another caused by climate change. However, it is not just storms and tidal surges causing harm. Rising salinity and temperature, along with new diseases and pests, are damaging the country’s greatest protector. Adding to this is the exploitation by unscrupulous individuals. Today, the Sundarbans itself is in danger due to these combined threats.

According to an investigation by Prothom Alo, the greatest danger in the Sundarbans at the moment is the competition among fishermen to catch fish using poison. At least three powerful quarters are behind this illegal activity. One group includes fish traders, known as "company mahajans," who control certain fishermen and encourage them to use poison to quickly catch large quantities of fish. Another group is comprised of corrupt forest guards who take bribes from these traders, allowing them to poison the rivers and canals in wildlife sanctuaries. Recently, forest pirates have also joined in, working with these groups. Some journalists are reportedly assisting them.

The officer-in-charge of the Hadda patrol station in the Sundarbans, Sabit Mahmud, said, "When he meets fishermen in the forest, many of them refer to their "mahajan", a journalist. I recently heard about a journalist from the Koyra upazila, who became a millionaire by being involved in the illegal business of catching fish fry in the Sundarbans."

A forest officer said that many people identifying themselves as journalists take allowances from forest stations every month. This practice has been going on for years.

In 2018, many forest pirates who had surrendered became inactive, but with the support of dishonest fish traders, they have now returned to the Sundarbans. These pirates offer protection to the fishermen working for the company mahajans, while robbing others. This has led to a significant increase in poisoning and fishing activities in the Sundarbans.

Govinda Mandal, a fisherman from the northern Bedkashi area of Koyra, has been fishing in the Sundarbans' rivers and canals for the past 55 years. He told Prothom Alo, "There was no tradition to use poison for fishing in the past. There were plenty of fish at that time. But for the past five to six years, poison has been entering the forest, and now, there are fewer fish, and even the birds are not available."

In favour of a private organisation, Md Shah Paran works on a project related to the “Assessment of the Aquatic Resources of the Sundarbans”

He told Prothom Alo, “For eight months, I’ve been visiting the fish markets near the Sundarbans in Koyra every day, counting the fish species. However, most of the fish brought to the market are caught using poison. The smell of poison is especially strong in shrimp. Locals don’t eat the fish from the Sundarbans. The poisonous fish are all transported by truck to Dhaka and other districts of the country.”

The Forest Conservator of the Khulna region, Mihir Kumar Doe said, “At various times, we have seized bottles of poison or poisoned fish from dishonest fishermen in the Sundarbans. We’ve found that most of the poison is used to kill pests on vegetables and plants. Fishermen use two types of poison: one for white fish and another for shrimp. Some poisons, when mixed with water, create an oxygen deficiency, causing the fish to weaken and die. If birds eat the dead fish or crabs, they can also die. Consuming such fish would certainly harm the human body.”

Following the Forest Conservator’s remarks, several pesticide-selling shops in the Koyra area near the Sundarbans were visited. A variety of pesticides were being sold in large quantities. Some people, who don’t even own a piece of land for cultivation, were seen buying pesticides. One seller revealed that fishermen from the Sundarbans often buy pesticides like Diamgro, Fighter, Ripcord, and Pesicol, claiming they use them on plants or vegetables. Discussions with local sources revealed that poisons containing chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin kill both white fish and shrimp. On the other hand, poison containing only cypermethrin kills only shrimp.

Prothom Alo spoke with several individuals who had served jail term for fishing with poison. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one fisherman at the South Bedkashi area of Koyra, said, “I started using poison to catch a lot of fish in a short period a few years ago. When the tidal waters fill the canals in the forest, we set traps at both ends with small nets. Then, when the tide recedes, we pour pesticides like Nitro and Ripcord into the traps. The fish surface within a few minutes.”

The fishermen also mentioned that, at times, it becomes difficult to bring poisoned shrimp to the local markets. In such cases, they dry the shrimp in the forest itself. They cut trees deep inside the forest to make temporary platforms, where they set fire to pieces of wood underneath and dry the shrimp. The dried shrimp are then tactfully sent to Mongla.

Gaurang Nandi, Chairman of the Center for Environment and Participatory Research (CEPR), said that the use of poison in the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans is causing significant damage not only to aquatic life but also to the mangrove forest.

He said, “The types of poison fishermen spray in the Sundarbans are mainly used for pest control on fruits and crops. This toxic water is absorbed by the trees through their roots, leading to harmful effects on them. Consuming these poisoned fish is also causing long-term health issues in humans, including cancer.” He stressed the need for specific research on the matter.

Md Jahangir Sardar, a resident of Koyra village near the Sundarbans, is one of the fishermen who secretly enter the sanctuary by bribing forest officials under the guise of having legal permission. He told Prothom Alo, “I’ve been fishing in the forest since childhood. But the bribe required by the Forest Department keeps increasing. A few years ago, they used to take Tk 1,000 for every seven days, but now it’s Tk 5,000 per boat. Through middlemen, we pay bribes to forest rangers to enter the protected areas and catch fish to cover the cost.”

The Sundarbans, covering an area of 6,017 square kilometers in Bangladesh, has nearly 3,200 square kilometers designated as a sanctuary.
Forest Conservator at the Khulna region, Mihir Kumar Doe said that more than half of the Sundarbans' sanctuary areas are completely off-limits to fishermen.

However, local fishermen, honey collectors, and community leaders revealed that illegal fishing with poison occurs throughout the year across the forest, especially in the sanctuary areas where more fish are found. The fishing spots are controlled by the company middlemen.

There are allegations that if any fisherman attempts to fish in the sanctuary areas without being part of this syndicate, forest department officials will have them arrested. To fish with poison without interference, a fisherman must be listed with a company middleman. This has become an unwritten rule in the areas surrounding the Sundarbans.

Local fishermen from Koyra, Paikgachha, and Dakop upazilas said that about 25 to 30 businessmen secretly collaborate with forest officials to catch fish and crabs year-round. Some of the well-known company middlemen include Zulfiqar Ali, Lutfor Rahman, Rezaul Karim, Saheb Ali, Amirul Islam, Nur Hossain, Habibullah, Abu Musa, Majed, Kamrul, Mintu, Halim, Rajab Ali, Bashar, Masum, Mofizul, Mozafar, Abdul Khalek, Zahir Member, Ashraful Islam, Shahazul, and Riyasad Ali.

Abu Musa, a company middleman, acknowledged his involvement in sending fishermen to the sanctuary to carry on the illegal trade. However, he suggested that to stop the use of poison in the forest, the sanctuary areas should be divided among the middlemen. He explained that one middleman’s area should not allow others to enter. Forest officials transfer responsibility from one person to another as soon as they receive a larger bribe. After catching fish for one cycle, since there is uncertainty about being able to fish again, the middlemen give the fishermen poison to use.

When asked about which companies’ middlemen fish in the restricted areas of the Sundarbans, Abu Musa said, “The largest middlemen in the Sundarbans are Zahir Member and Babul from the Dakop area. They control 200 to 250 boats in the sanctuary. Zahir pays Tk 13,000 per boat to the forest officials to catch fish and crabs in the restricted areas like Neelkamal, Patkosta, and Bhomorkhali. My boats, which number 8-10, operate in Bhomorkhali, and we pay Tk 10,000 per boat to the forest officials. Other middlemen like Kamrul, Mozaffar, Jamal Mondol, Tutul, and Mustafiz are also involved.”

Abu Musa added, “The wealthiest businessman in Koyra is Riyasad Ali, who has the best connections with the forest officials. Without him, it’s impossible to enter the restricted areas with boats.”

When the names of these businessmen were mentioned, a responsible forest official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo, “We know all these businessmen. However, it is difficult to catch them red-handed inside the Sundarbans. We also face staff shortages and many limitations.”

June, July, and August are the breeding seasons for wildlife and fish in the Sundarbans. During this period, the forest department imposes restrictions on fishing in the rivers and canals of the forest, as well as on tourists entering the forest. However, this year, during the closed season, illegal activities such as poisoning fish and hunting deer in the Sundarbans have significantly increased compared to other times, according to residents living near the Sundarbans.

An investigation into this began on 12 July last year. At that time, entry for fishermen in the Sundarbans was strictly prohibited. But on that very day, it was heard in the village of Gariyabari in Koyra that a local man named Bhobachandra Das had been taken away by a tiger in the forest. On 20 July, Bhobachandra’s nephew, Tapas Das, reported that 11 other people were hunting crabs deep in the forest area of Bhomorkhali with his uncle.

The Bhomorkhali area falls under the jurisdiction of the forest department's Nalian Forest Station. When the forest officer, Tanzilur Rahman, was contacted about the issue, he promised to conduct a swift raid in the area. However, shortly after, an unknown person called and warned, “You asked the forest officer to raid Bhomorkhali. This is not a good development.” It became clear that illegal activities were happening with the cooperation of the forest officers.

Regarding entry into the forest during the closed season, fisherman Akbarul Islam from Koyra said, “If the forest department doesn't want it, the fishermen wouldn't even be able to touch the water of a canal in the Sundarbans. I had to bribe a forest officer just to collect honey."

In the morning on 13 July, a visit to the fish market in Doulia Bazar of Koyra confirmed Akbarul’s statement. The market had not opened yet, but fish from nearby enclosures had already arrived, along with crabs from the Sundarbans. Within half an hour, the market became filled with fish and people. Shrimp, betki, jaba, sillet, payra, datina, and many other types of fish were arriving. Several fish traders, sitting in a tea shop, mentioned that most of the fish were caught illegally in the Sundarbans using poison and illegal nets.

At the market, several trucks were seen standing. The drivers said that they would be taking the fish from the market to Dhaka. At the crab market, there was also hustle and bustle. Bags filled with crabs from the Sundarbans were being measured and tied. This was happening during the period when entry into the forest was prohibited.

Fisherman Mobarak Hossain from Maheshwaripur said, “Even though the government announced the season closed for three months, illegal fishing with poison has continued through secret agreement with forest officers. For catching fish with small nets, they charged Tk 800; for deer hunting Tk 5,000; for catching fish with poison in a 'vesali' net Tk 3,000; and for hunting crabs, forest guards have been taking Tk 3,000 per day for four consecutive days.”

At 9:30am, a shrimp-laden van left the Doulia Bazaar fish market. The reporter, carefully following the van, saw it stop at the side of the road near the village of Deyara in Maharajpur union, Koyra. Several people took the shrimp from the van to a two-room house some distance from the main road. Inside the house, a few hundred kilograms of shrimp were spread on bamboo platforms, emitting a strong smell of poison. Nearby, piles of red dried fish were stacked, and smoke was rising from pieces of wood below the platforms.

When asked who owned the factory, an elderly woman introduced herself as Sofia Begum, a worker there. She said this land belongs to Mukul Gazi from Maharajpur area. He is given Tk 3,000 as rent monthly. She also revealed that the factory was run by Jalal Sheikh from Maheshwaripur, and Noor Box Gazi in Maharajpur supplies the shrimp caught with poison. The factory had been operating for three years, and 245 kg of shrimp had been brought that day. Sofia mentioned that each kg of dried fish was sold for Tk 1,400, and traders took it to various places, including Dhaka.

In a nearby house, dried shrimp were laid out on bamboo racks, and a strong, pungent odor was in the air. The room had an odd smell from the poison used on the shrimp, and freshly made dried fish was stacked nearby.

When questioned about the inaction of the forest department and their alleged collusion with criminals, a forest officer at the Kashiabad Forest Station in Koyra, Nirmal Mondal, said: “The local panel chairman Lutfor, businessman Amirul, Jamal, and others have come to me at least three times asking me to allow their fishing boats into the forest during the closed season. They also made underhand proposals, but I refused. The allegations against me are not true.”

According to forest-dependent fishermen, forest officers do not take money directly from them. Instead, they receive payments through middlemen, called “company traders.” When fishermen are caught or fined, these traders pay the fines on their behalf, and later, the money is deducted from the fishermen’s earnings.

Recently, six fishermen from Koyra were arrested for fishing with two boats in the Bhomorkhali area. One of the detained fishermen's uncle, Jahid Hossain, told Prothom Alo that earlier, there was an outstanding payment of Tk 10,000 for these two boats from a previous agreement with the forest department. Since they didn't pay, the fishermen were tactfully arrested, and cases were filed against them.

Another detained fisherman Mithun Sarder's relative Mustafa Hossain said that the arrested fishermen had told them that their two boats contained about 200 kg of white fish and 60-70 kg of shrimp. The forest guards took all the fish, and after holding the fishermen for two days, they couldn't pay the fine, so the authorities planted poison bottles on them and sent them to court.

A fish trader from Palli Mangal village in Koyra, Mostafizur Rahman, mentioned, “We lease canals in the Sundarbans from the forest guards, but problems arise when big businessmen pay higher amounts to push out smaller traders. In such incidents, cases are filed against us.”

When asked, Abdul Hakim, the officer-in-charge of the Bhomorkhali Patrol Camp, said, “We don’t allow fishing with poison, so the fishermen falsely accuse the forest guards. We only follow orders from senior officers.”

Since the government change on 5 August, many things have shifted in the Sundarbans. The Assistant Forest Conservator of the Khulna Range, AZM Hasanur Rahman, was appointed as the Divisional Officer of the Sundarbans West Forest Division.

When asked, he said, "Forest guards have no connection with crimes related to forest resources and claimed that fabricated complaints were made by people who could not get illegal advantages."

Since 5 August, one of the most alarming changes in the Sundarbans has been the resurgence of forest bandits. According to forest dwellers, some unscrupulous fish and crab traders are fueling the activities of the bandits.

These traders are controlling canals in the protected areas of the Sundarbans and are sending the bandits into the forest to catch fish using poison. While the bandits hold ordinary fishermen hostage, they do not harass those fishermen who work under the influential traders.

Fishermen say that many groups that had surrendered in 2018 have returned to banditry in the Sundarbans. In particular, the activities of the Majnu group, Sharif group, Dayal group, Rabiul group, Abdullah group, Manjur group, and Masum Billah group have increased in the western Sundarbans. These bandit groups have reportedly connection with the poison-fishing syndicates.

Forest dwellers claim that some unscrupulous fish and crab traders are behind the bandits. They are controlling the canals in the restricted areas of the Sundarbans and using the bandits to fish with poison. While the bandits hold ordinary fishermen hostage, they do not bother the fishermen working under the traders.

Several fishermen from the Goryabari of Koyra, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo that fish and crab traders from the Dacope and Koyra regions are sending fishermen into the restricted areas to catch fish and crabs. There is a rivalry between the traders from these two areas over control of the territory. The bandit group close to the traders in Dacope is the Mama-Bhagne group, while the group in Koyra is the Rabiul group.

In the past month, several fishermen from Koyra have paid ransom to be freed from the bandits' captivity. Among them, fishermen like Saleman Molla, Nazrul Gazi, Sushanto Rapton, and Imamuddin shared that they had to pay at least Tk 20,000 to secure their release. Each bandit group consists of 10-12 members, all of whom are armed. They hunt deer to meet their food demands daily.

On 6 January, Rajab Ali, a fisherman from village No. 6 in Koyra, returned to his area after being freed from the bandits. He shared that he was held hostage for two days before being released by the bandits, who left his younger brother, Riazul Islam, behind.

Rajab Ali further mentioned, "The bandits are overseeing the fishermen controlled by the traders who spread poison to catch fish. Whenever they find a network inside the forest, they contact the traders by phone."

Imdadul Haque, the OC of Koyra police station, stated, “Since the political change, I’ve heard that notorious criminals who escaped from the Satkhira jail, as well as bandits who had surrendered six years ago, have returned to banditry. We are looking into the old forest bandits. If anyone tries to instill fear in the Sundarbans, they will be dealt with firmly."

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print and online editions, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam.