Dhaka: Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter today highlighted the pressing issue of declining sweet water fish populations due to the loss of open water bodies in the country. "The quantity of open water fish is declining in the country as open water bodies are being encroached in various ways," Farida stated while addressing the closing session of the two-day 'CAB Youth Parliament 2025,' organized by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) at the Mozaffar Ahmad Chowdhury Auditorium at Dhaka University.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Farida expressed concerns over the high electricity prices affecting the country's fish and poultry farmers. Despite electricity used in agriculture being subsidized, fish and poultry farmers are required to pay commercial rates. She emphasized that aligning their rates with agricultural ones would necessitate a government subsidy of Tk 400 crore.
Farida also pointed out the disparity in electricity distribution, noting that urban residents tend to waste a significant amount of electricity while rural regions experience frequent load shedding. She described this as a form of inequality that needs to be addressed for the betterment of both urban and rural communities.