The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has allocated Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) rice to fishermen families rendered jobless due to the government-imposed three-month ban on fishing in the Sundarban.
Under the first phase of the programme, 8,271 registered fishermen families out of 18,500 listed in the eastern and western Sundarbans have received 80 kilograms of rice each, covering the months of July and August.
A total of 661.68 metric tonnes of VGF rice has been distributed, with the remaining eligible families to be brought under the programme in phases.
According to the Forest Department, fishing in the Sundarbans remains prohibited for three months — from June to August under a ban imposed on July 28, 2020, to protect fish breeding.
The restriction leaves thousands of fishermen without income, forcing many to struggle to support their families.
Six years after the ban was introduced, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock allocated VGF rice for the 2026-27 fiscal year as part of a humanitarian assistance programme. The allocation covers registered fishermen in 12 upazilas of Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat districts.
Talking to BSS, Khulna Conservator of Forests Imran Ahmed said the initiative aims to support the livelihoods of fishers who remain out of work during the fishing ban.
He said each beneficiary family received 40 kilograms of rice per month for July and August, while similar assistance would gradually be extended to all 18,500 registered fishermen families who depend on Sundarbans for livelihood.
Forest Department officials said 336.64 metric tonnes of rice were distributed among 4,208 fishermen families in Koyra, Dakop and Paikgacha upazilas of Khulna district.
In Satkhira’s Shyamnagar upazila, 2,574 families received 205.92 metric tonnes, while 1,489 families in eight upazilas of Bagerhat district received 119.12 metric tonnes.
Bagerhat District Jatiyatabadi Matsyajibi Dal President Md. Dulal Farazi welcomed the initiative, saying the fishermen had long demanded such support.
He expressed hope that food assistance would continue throughout the three-month fishing ban in the coming years.
Many fishermen of the West Sundarbans expressed their satisfaction as the present government allotted the aid for them although they have demanded compensation or aid for last several years during the fishing ban period.
“I can’t express my feelings in words to the government as they (government) have fulfilled our long-cherished demand. My family members and I are now free from the anxiety of hunger,” Shahbuddin Bapery, a fisherman from South Bedkashi village in Koyra upazila told BSS on Friday.
Many farmers of Satkhira and Bagerhat also expressed their satisfaction after getting the VGF grant for the first time.
Shamsuddin Mia of Sharankhola Upazila in Bagerhat said in previous years they have passed hardship times during fishing ban period.
The fishermen thanked the government for fulfilling their demand.
