Bustling fish market on the banks of Brahmaputra for nearly 200 years
As dawn breaks, boats begin arriving one after another on the banks of the Brahmaputra River. The calls of fishermen and the bargaining of traders fill Gatirghat in the Ramna area of Chilmari upazila, Kurigram.
Vendors arrange their fishes for sale, while buyers look for their preferred fish. Local fishermen claim that the market has operated in this way for nearly 200 years.
The market operates twice a day. The first session begins at 6:00 am and continues for about an hour, while the second starts at around 2:30 pm. Fishermen catch fish from the Brahmaputra and Teesta rivers and bring them to the market.
Around 150 boats arrive at the landing point during the two sessions. The fishermen say they have been selling fish at this landing point since the time of their forefathers.
Several fishermen said the temporary market was particularly famous for small fish. Alongside puti, tengra, mola, sarputi, gulsha, chapila, kachki, dhela, gutum, bele and prawns, the market also offers larger varieties such as chital and boal.
Traders sell the fish in local markets and transport them, packed in ice, to different parts of the country. Baghar fish are also occasionally available. Some weigh between 2.5 kilogrammes and three to three-and-a-half maunds. The price ranges from Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,500 per kilogramme.
The market has long been connected to the livelihoods and memories of many people. Fulal Chandra Das, 80, an elderly fish trader at the landing point, said, "I have been buying and selling fish for nearly 60 years. This landing point holds memories of my father and grandfathers. I earn Tk 600 to Tk 700 a day. This landing point is what keeps my family going."
Khitish Das, 65, from the Patrakhata area of Chilmari, has spent most of his life fishing in the Brahmaputra. He can no longer go to the river because of his age. Instead, he buys fish at Gatirghat and sells them in the local market. He earns Tk 400 to Tk 500 a day.
However, behind the market's bustling activity lies a growing livelihood crisis for fishermen. They say fish are no longer as abundant in the river as they once were, while the cost of fishing has increased. The rising price of diesel, in particular, has reduced their earnings.
Fisherman Putul Chandra Das, 42, said, "We need 8–10 litres of diesel to go fishing for a day. But there are not as many fish in the river as before. Five or six of us work on one boat. After deducting the costs of fuel, food and other expenses, each of us gets only Tk 300 to Tk 400. It is difficult to run a family on this income."
Santosh Chandra Das, 67, had to give up fishing after an accident involving a motorised boat seven years ago. Nevertheless, he visits the landing point every morning and afternoon.
He said, "I have been unable to cast a net since the boat accident. I do not know any other work. I have spent my entire life with the people at this landing point. People help me in whatever way they can."
Mahmudul Hasan, Chilmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), told Prothom Alo that the exact date of the market's establishment was unknown, but its freshwater fish had earned a good reputation.
He said the administration had kept the market free from leasing arrangements. The authorities also monitored the area to prevent anyone from forcibly collecting money from fishermen.