Department of Fisheries
Profile
- Head
- Md Zia Haider Chowdhury
- Role
- Director General
- Annual budget
- —
- Staff
- 6065
- Established
- 1971
- Legal basis
- Marine Fisheries Act, 2020 (repealing Marine Fisheries Ordinance, 1983); Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950; East Bengal Protection and Conservation of Fish Rules, 1985
Executing the 58-day Bay of Bengal fishing ban (April 15 to June 11, 2026) alongside jatka conservation enforcement across 20 hilsa districts; hilsa production at 5 lakh MT in FY2024-25; frozen seafood exports rebounded 19.33 percent to USD 388.7 million in FY2024-25; planning a fish preservation centre at Chalan Beel, Natore to restore indigenous species and open-water biodiversity.
Recent activity
- 2026-04-07 policy Jatka Conservation Week observed April 7-13 across 20 hilsa-rich districts; inaugurated at Chandpur Sadar; theme: 'If we stop catching jatka, rivers and seas will be filled with hilsa'. DoF reported hilsa production reached 5 lakh metric tonnes in FY2024-25, representing 9.79 percent of total national fish production. Bangladesh accounts for over 80 percent of global hilsa supply. ↗↗↗
- 2026-04-15 regulation 58-day total fishing ban in the Bay of Bengal came into effect April 15 and runs through June 11, 2026; all marine fishing prohibited during this period to protect breeding stocks. DoF is enforcing the ban alongside Coast Guard and Navy. Approximately 367,000 fisher families are receiving 40 kg of rice monthly for four months as compensation; a further 619,312 families received 25 kg food assistance during the hilsa breeding ban period. ↗↗↗
- 2026-04-30 statement DoF data confirmed frozen fish and shrimp exports reached USD 388.7 million in FY2024-25, up 19.33 percent from USD 325.73 million in FY2023-24 (EPB data). Frozen shrimp alone: 23,238 tonnes worth USD 296.29 million (21.5 percent volume growth; 19.32 percent value growth). Top shrimp markets: China (USD 56.69 million), Netherlands (USD 47.39 million), UK (USD 44.96 million). Total fisheries export earnings in FY2023-24 were BDT 4,531.86 crore from approximately 77,000 MT of fish and fishery products. ↗↗
- 2026-05-09 policy DoF Director General Md Zia Haider Chowdhury presided over a fish farmers' conference in Gurudaspur upazila, Natore; State Minister Sultan Salauddin Tuku announced plans to establish a modern fish preservation centre at Chalan Beel to revive indigenous species and traditional biodiversity. Modern fish farming via technology to be extended to Chalan Beel and Halti Beel open-water bodies; market management improvements and training for fish farmers also pledged. ↗
Provenance & notes
DoF was established after Bangladesh independence in 1971; Central Fisheries Department merged in April 1975; Central Marine Fisheries Department merged in 1984 to form the Marine Fisheries Wing. Headquarters: Segunbagicha, Shahbagh, Dhaka. Staff: 6,065 technical officers and supporting staff across all levels (source: DoF About page). Director General conflict resolved: Wikipedia (last updated March 2026) listed Kh. Mahbubul Haque; official DoF website listed Dr. Md. Abdur Rauf as 'acting' DG (ভারপ্রাপ্ত) at an unspecified prior date; two BSS primary source articles dated April 7 and May 9, 2026 both confirm Md Zia Haider Chowdhury as the current DG -- these are the most recent verified references and have been used. head_since is null as no appointment date was found in primary sources. The FY2025-26 BDT 3,392 crore budget covers the combined Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (DoF + Department of Livestock Services); DoF-specific allocation not separately published. Hilsa production figure of 5 lakh MT refers to FY2024-25 (July 2024-June 2025), per minister's statement at Jatka Conservation Week. Export figures (USD 388.7 million frozen seafood, FY2024-25) are from EPB via TBS/eFeedlink, cross-checked against FAO/DoF Yearbook trends. Fish sector contributed 2.52 percent to national GDP in FY2023-24, with total production 5.02 million MT exceeding the 4.89 million MT target (Fisheries Yearbook 2023-24).
Sources
- https://fisheries.gov.bd/site/page/43ce3767-3981-4248-99bd-d321b6e3a7e5/-
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Fisheries_(Bangladesh)
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/374996
- https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/corporates/government-observe-jatka-conservation-week-7-13-april-1404266
- https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/jatka-conservation-week-to-be-observed-from-april-7/183014
- https://www.newagebd.net/post/Country/295990/jatka-conservation-week-begins-today
- https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/58-day-fishing-ban-to-be-imposed-in-bay-of-bengal-from-april-15/183044
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/385637
- https://www.efeedlink.com/contents/10-22-2025/38e5fa1e-5ede-4bda-85f9-2c3a20e30119-a001.html
- https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/bangladesh-shrimp-exports-set-rebound-first-board-frozen-shipment-europe-1279801
- https://www.bssnews.net/national-budget-2025-2026/279439
- https://lightcastlepartners.com/insights/2025/09/aquaculture-in-bangladesh-key-updates-from-the-fisheries-yearbook-2023-24/
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/388561/dof-dg-steps-taken-to-protect-bangladesh%E2%80%99s-river