Fertile farmland in Rajshahi is rapidly being converted into fish ponds and built-up areas, prompting fears of long-term food insecurity, soil degradation and poor enforcement of land laws.
Bangladesh is facing a growing land use crisis as fertile agricultural land in the northwestern district of Rajshahi continues to disappear due to unregulated commercial fish farming and expanding concrete infrastructure. The trend is raising serious concerns about food security, soil degradation and sustainable land management.
Rajshahi’s experience highlights an urgent policy challenge for Bangladesh and other developing countries struggling to balance aquaculture expansion with the protection of fertile farmland and long-term food security.
Official data show that between 2015 and 2023, Rajshahi lost 16,159 hectares of arable land. This scale of decline mirrors a wider pattern across climate-vulnerable regions of South Asia, where farmland is increasingly converted for short-term commercial gains. In a densely populated country already under pressure from climate stress, the permanent loss of productive land poses a long-term national risk.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, inland water bodies in Rajshahi expanded from 15,044 hectares in 2015 to 24,498 hectares in 2023. During the same period, built-up areas including housing, roads and commercial structures increased from 54,233 hectares to 62,727 hectares, further squeezing land available for food production.
Higher profits push farmers away from crops
Government officials, farmers and civil society organisations say high-yield agricultural land is increasingly being converted into commercial fish ponds, often in violation of the Agricultural Land Protection and Use Act 2018 and soil conservation regulations.
Data from the district fisheries office show that the number of registered ponds in Rajshahi rose from 40,788 in 2015 to 51,275 in 2025, an increase of about 25 percent. Farmers and NGO workers believe the actual figure is far higher due to widespread unregistered and illegal ponds.
In the last fiscal year, Rajshahi produced 84,803 metric tonnes of fish, well above local demand of 52,063 metric tonnes. Agricultural extension officials say rising input costs and low returns from traditional crops are driving landowners towards aquaculture.
A farmer from Godagari sub-district said rice cultivation brings in no more than Tk40,000 a year, while leasing the same land for fish farming can generate between Tk80,000 and Tk120,000 annually. Similar calculations are prompting many farmers to abandon crop production.
Illegal excavation and weak enforcement
Under existing regulations, pond excavation on agricultural land requires verification by local agriculture and soil authorities and final approval from the district administration. Investigations suggest these procedures are frequently bypassed, with ponds often dug at night to avoid detection.
Farmers allege the presence of powerful syndicates operating under political protection. Agriculture officials acknowledge that such networks have existed under different political alignments over time, pointing to deeper governance and enforcement failures rather than isolated incidents.
Rising land lease prices in Rajshahi have also pushed some fish traders towards neighbouring districts such as Chapainawabganj, where leasing agricultural land for ponds costs almost half as much.
Environmental damage and human cost
Unplanned pond excavation has led to growing conflict at the local level. On December 17, a 22-year-old farmer, Ahmed Jubayer, was killed in Mohanpur sub-district while protesting illegal pond digging late at night. Residents say poorly designed ponds cause waterlogging in surrounding fields, making cultivation impossible.
Agricultural experts warn that pond excavation removes fertile topsoil and spreads infertile subsoil across nearby land, permanently reducing productivity. It also disrupts natural drainage systems, alters local microclimates and increases crop vulnerability to pests and disease, impacts already visible in several parts of Bangladesh.
Rajshahi University professor Mohammad Al Baki Borkatullah said that while fish farming may offer short-term profits for a limited number of landowners, large-scale conversion of farmland poses a serious threat to food production, farmer livelihoods and national food security.
Authorities respond, concerns remain
District Commissioner Afia Akhter said approvals for pond excavation are issued only after review by committees comprising agriculture and fisheries officials. She acknowledged that illegal cases bypass official procedures and said mobile courts and night-time enforcement drives are conducted regularly.
However, analysts argue that enforcement remains sporadic and largely reactive. Without stronger monitoring, transparent land use planning and consistent application of existing laws, they warn Bangladesh risks eroding its agricultural base at a time when climate change is already placing severe strain on food systems.
