The familiar rhythm of the monsoon season — alternating between sunshine and rain — continues to shape daily life. Amid this unpredictable weather, workers at the Nazirartek dry fish market in Cox’s Bazar are busy as ever, following the end of the 58-day fishing ban.
With the return of fishing operations, the dry fish village has once again come to life.
At the Nazirartek dry fish stalls, workers are seen drying fish despite the back-and-forth weather. Some are cleaning the fish, while others quickly move the fish into the sun whenever the weather clears. As soon as the rain begins, the workers scramble to cover the fish to protect them from getting wet.
One worker commented, “It’s very busy right now. As soon as there’s a little sunshine, we start drying the fish, and when the rain comes, we rush to cover them. Though the constant change between sun and rain increases our hardships, the work never stops.”
Following the end of the fishing ban, fishing activities have resumed across the coast, bringing renewed energy to the dry fish markets. However, the unpredictable weather means that the drying process is taking longer, and there are challenges in properly preserving the fish.
Local business owners shared, “The weather is the biggest challenge at this time. If we can’t dry the fish properly, it becomes difficult to maintain quality.”
On the other hand, workers have expressed concern that while work has resumed after the long break, their earnings have not met expectations due to the rain.
Often, the dried fish gets wet again, requiring additional time and effort to re-dry it.
Despite these challenges, the Nazirartek dry fish village continues to thrive.
The workers remain hopeful that, with favorable weather conditions, production will increase in the coming days, and they will be able to recover economically.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Hussain Shetu
