Our national fish ‘hilsa’ that are being sold now in the markets across the country is mainly caught in the river Meghna. The depth, width, the strong current of the Meghna and, above all, its proximity with the Bay of Bengal undeniably contribute hugely to the rich harvest of the exclusively typical fish in the Meghna. However, it was not too long ago when this great fish had been traditionally a hallmark of the Padma. The taste of the Padma fish is still a household proverb in Bangladesh.

Why aren’t we getting the Padma hilsa that abundantly? Quite a good number of reasons can be found for not having hilsa in the Padma. Being a trademark fish of deep, estuarine waters with strong current, the continuous siltation in the bed of the Padma over the years happens to be the most prominent one attributing to the record low catches of this heritage fish in the Padma in the recent years. However, none can ever deny the original taste of the Padma hilsha once it is compared to the ones found in the Meghna.

When we are chanting full-throated slogans for saving our rivers and biodiversity, the once mighty Padma that has attained a mythical stature in the classical Bengali novel Padma Nodeer Majhi by Manik Bandopadhaya is slowly and silently dying out right before our eyes. The protagonist of this great novel Kuber Majhi, though, was found to be worried but another character Gonesh was in the most jovial mood once they caught a big haul of hilsa from the Padma. The usual fishing route of Kuber and other fishermen living along the vast basin of the Padma extended over the huge expanse right from Manikganj to Rajshahi. The episodes of the novel compellingly prove that the Padma was once a bonanza for hilsa.

Although the hilsha harvesting from the Maoya point to the downstream  has not been affected hugely. However, from Pakshi point towards upstream, hilsa is now quite an obscure fish species only due to lack of flow and huge sand deposits everywhere just below the surface water. In a word, from the Pakshi Point the Padma has virtually lost its flow with patches of islets and stagnant waters. We customarily put the blame on India for strangulating the flow of the Padma by building Farakka Barage upstream. Even if we accept this to be true, still then we can hardly get scot-free from our liability in bringing back the flow of the Padma by not pouring in our concerted efforts and ingenuity towards an alternative option.

For understanding the practical co-relation between the Padma and the hilsa, we have to take into cognizance, above everything else, the fact that hilsa does not enter into the Padma from the upstream Indian waters. If this is the reality on the ground then Farakka Barage is not an impediment for natural breeding and availability of hilsa. Of course, Farakka Barage definitely choked the flow of the Padma immensely by withdrawing waters from the upstream. Have we ever thought of the fact that seriously that having sources in India all our major rivers naturally carry silt and alluvium raising the level of the river-beds slowly but steadily? Amid this uncompromising reality, the only option left for us is nothing but to go for dredging the rivers including the Padma on a regular basis.   

The amount of efforts we put in bringing back its lost flow and strong current are clearly confined within our rhetoric in the seminars. I am at one with an overwhelming majority of Bangladeshi people and do firmly believe that the navigability of the Buriganga holds topmost priority given its overwhelming importance as the artery in the waterways especially as the core channel of communication between the capital and the Southern Bangladesh. In contrast, the issue of the Padma’s navigability as the ground activities clearly suggest always gets a lackluster profile that hurts me deeply like all the beneficiaries of the Padma.

The navigability of the Padma especially right from the Maoya of Munshiganj down to the Godagari of Rajshahi manifestly gives a grim picture. Talking to a huge number of people who are the direct stake-holders of the mighty Padma, I do strongly recommend the option of dredging of the Padma at the soonest possible time. No doubt, it will involve a huge amount of money which will be an extra taxation on our exchequer. Still then, once navigability is brought back through dredging, myth surrounding hilsa of the Padma may come true. At the same time more than 20 lakhs people living in the catchment areas will be brought right under the benefit coverage of waterways transportation as well as cultivation of other indigenous fish species.

Apart from Bangladesh, 11 other countries including India, Myanmar etc. catch hilsa from their estuarine rivers. It is a special blessing for Bangladesh that Bangladesh catches nearly 60% of global hilsa catches. Exports reports especially the one published by London University strongly suggests that potentialities are still there to boost up the percentage up to 75%. If we can venture upon an ambitious project like building the 40 thousand crore Padma Bridge then why not we spend money for an absolutely economy-friendly Padma dredging.      

Hilsa contributes 1 percent to our GDP. More than six lakhs fishermen are directly involved now in netting hilsa fish. Moreover, hilsa fish provides livelihood support to more than 220000 people. Above everything else, hilsa is globally demanding popular fish inherently packed with rich export potentialities. In the frantically competitive overseas market where we have only a handful of exportable items to combat with the export giants, hilsa can unquestionably be a competitive product. And if this hilsa is harnessed from the Padma, it will unquestionably be a formidable triumph card to ensure a solidly secure edge in our export battle. To make all these come to happen, bringing back the proverbial flow of the Padma has to be set as one of the topmost national priorities.      

The writer, Assistant Professor of English in Bogra Cantonment Public School & College, is a contributor to The Independent. E-mail: [email protected]