A poor fish farmer in Mymensingh’s Nandail upazila has suffered a devastating loss after miscreants allegedly poisoned his pond, killing all his fish worth nearly Tk 30 lakh. The incident took place on Friday night in Arannyapasha village under Gangail Union, leaving the farmer, Abul Kalam, heartbroken and in despair.
Kalam, who owns no cultivable land other than his homestead and a 22-decimal pond, had been farming shing fish for several years to support his family. About six months ago, he released fish fry worth Tk 3 lakh into the pond. Lacking sufficient funds, he had been purchasing fish feed worth Tk 13 lakh on credit from local trader Matiur Rahman Mati, who runs a fish feed shop at Chourasta.
The fish had recently grown large enough for sale, but Kalam delayed selling them due to lower market prices. On Friday night around 8 p.m., unidentified individuals reportedly poured poison into the pond. Within moments, the fish began dying and floating to the surface.
On Saturday afternoon, the scene at Kalam’s home drew a large crowd of villagers. Neighbors gathered around the pond, trying to help by collecting the dead fish in buckets and containers. Witnesses described the farmer as inconsolable, rolling on the ground in grief as he watched months of hard work vanish overnight.
Abul Kalam has accused two local men—Sohag and Shalon—with whom he had longstanding enmity, of being behind the attack. “They did this out of revenge,” he alleged.
However, when contacted, neither Sohag nor Shalon could be reached for comment. Their mother, Jahanara Begum, said, “It’s unfair to accuse my sons without proof. They had no reason to do such a thing.”
Local authorities have been informed of the incident, though no official case had been confirmed as of Saturday evening.
The poisoning has not only wiped out Kalam’s entire fish stock but also pushed him into severe financial hardship, leaving his livelihood uncertain.
