Fish prices to go up as Barisal fish wharf lease amount doubles

The minimum lease amount for the Barisal fishing landing station on Port Road has nearly doubled from last year, raising concerns among traders about rising fish prices due to illegal overcharging. 

At a press conference held at 2:30 pm on Sunday, April 27, at the Barisal Reporters Unity (BRU) office, fish wholesalers voiced their grievances.

General Secretary of wholesalers’ association Md Zahir Sikder, reading a written statement, explained that the landing station – Padmabati Ghat, leased annually by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), saw its minimum lease price jump to Tk 2.5 crore in 2025 – up from Tk 1.25 crore in 2024. 

Last year, the highest bidder secured the wharf for Tk 1.75 crore. BIWTA set a rate of Tk 100 per tonne for hilsa, despite the tender’s rate sheet listing Tk 34.50 per tonne (roughly 1.5 taka per maund), making the higher charge illegal.

Sikder warned that the doubled lease price could reduce fish arrivals at the wharf, as traders may divert to other piers to cut costs, ultimately driving up fish prices. “No trader wants to lose money,” he said, urging BIWTA to cancel the inflated lease and adhere to government rates.

Barisal River Port Officer Sheikh Mohammad Selim Reza responded, stating that the tender price is set by BIWTA’s head office, not locally, and attributed the increase to competition among lessors.