Bhola Charfassion 185 fishermen families have changed their fortunes by getting free bakana calves to provide alternative employment to unemployed fishermen during the ban on fishing. Calves mature into mature cows in two years. Some of them have already given birth to new calves. The milk of those cows has again become a source of additional income for the fishermen.
It is known that these fishermen used to earn their livelihood by hunting fish in rivers and seas. Fishermen are out of work every year during the fishing ban. At this time, the fishermen’s income was cut off. Most fishermen do not own boats and nets. They bought nets and boats with advance money from Artaddar and went down to the river. If you get fish, you pay money to the fishermen. Fishermen have to pay the loan even if they cannot catch fish during the ban. At this time they became the most helpless. In order to create alternative employment for these helpless fishermen to earn at this time, the fisheries department took the initiative of distributing bakna calves among the fishermen. From 2021 to 2023 Charfashion has delivered 185 weanling calves.
Abdul Hannan Majhi of Omrabaz village of Ward No. 05 in Jahanpur Union of Charfassion Upazila got the calf. Going to the pill, it is seen that a calf has been born from the given goat. Everyone in the family is taking care of the calf. That cow gives 1 to 15 liters of milk daily.
Abdul Hannan Majhi’s wife Piara Begum said, two years ago we were given a cow calf from the fisheries office. After rearing the calf, the calf has now given birth to another calf. I am now selling milk from that cow. I also bought a goat with the money of this milk sale.
He also said that there are 5 members in our family. We are now self-sufficient after getting the calf from the fisheries office. Although there is a ban on the river, now we don’t have to suffer much. Because we can run the family with the income of this cow.
Jahangi Majhi of Abubakarpur union of the upazila also said, I used to go to the river with a loan. During Prohibition, it was difficult to pay off debts and run a family if you could not catch fish. I was given a Buckna calf in June 2021 from the Fisheries Office. That calf grew up and gave birth to another calf. At present the cow is giving 3 kg of milk daily. Which we sell in the market. By doing this, you don’t have to gain speed to run the family.
He also said that he bought a goat for his wife with the money from the sale of cow’s milk. We were unemployed due to various government restrictions. Now the broiler calf paid from this hilsa resource and development management project has become a source of income.
In this regard Charfassion Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Md. Maruf Hossain Minar said that the number of registered jailers in Charfassion Upazila is 57,311. Out of this, 185 bakna calves have been given to fishermen as a tool for alternative employment through Ilisha resources development and management project. We always keep track of the calves. As a result, most of the heifers have now become heifers. Due to this, several fishermen of the upazila have become self-reliant. In future also we will try our best to continue this trend for alternative employment of fishermen.
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