Fish in two separate ponds in Panchbibi and Akkelpur, Joypurhat, have been killed with poison over old enmities, it is alleged. The two fish farmers have suffered losses of about Tk 18 lakh in all.

At about 11:30pm on Thursday (12 March), miscreants poisoned a pond held and used by fish farmer Mostafizur Rahman in Kharia Para village, Aolai union, Panchbibi upazila. All the fish in the pond died. He has filed a written complaint with Panchbibi police station naming two suspects and putting the loss at Tk 10 lakh.

Mostafizur Rahman said: "I have a 5-bigha pond in Kharia Para village. Two months ago I stocked it with fish at a cost of Tk 1 lakh 86 thousand. It had shing fish, and sales would have started in four months. On Thursday night someone poisoned the pond and all the fish died. I suspect two people and have filed a written complaint at the police station."

In Punghordighi village, Tilakpur union, Akkelpur upazila, a pond belonging to fish farmer Shahinur Rahman was poisoned around dawn on Friday (13 March). All the pabda fry released 23 days earlier into the pond, about 10 bighas in size, died and floated up. The report says a complaint was lodged with police that the farmer had lost about Tk 8 lakh.

Shahinur Rahman said: "I have a long-running land dispute with a few people in the village. I was threatened before the pond was poisoned, so I filed a GD with the police station on 5 March. I have not filed a complaint with the police over the poisoning, but the police came."

Abdul Hafiz Md Raihan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Panchbibi police station, said a written complaint had been filed. Police would be sent to the scene tomorrow (14 March), and necessary legal action would be taken after investigation.

Shahin Reza, OC of Akkelpur police station, said police were sent to the scene on hearing the news. The fish farmer has a land dispute and a court case with a few people. He has been asked to file a written complaint, and action will be taken after investigation once it is received.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.