In the quiet coastal village of Kodbazaar in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, Syed Mohammad has spent a lifetime crafting fishing nets and braving the sea to provide for his family. With nothing but the ocean as his livelihood, this dedicated fisherman raised eight children, educating them and marrying them off through the earnings from his humble trade.
“We have no other profession but fishing,” says the father of five sons and three daughters. “It’s from this work that I’ve managed to raise my children.”
But times have changed, and Syed Mohammad’s daily struggle has intensified with them. The nets he now weaves no longer last as they once did. “Today’s nets are made of plastic and wear out within just three months,” he explains, the frustration in his voice evident.
Not only is the durability of these modern nets questionable, but the traditional “fike jaal”—a once-popular net type—has lost its appeal in the market. “There’s no joy in making nets like before,” Syed laments. “No one wants to buy fike jaal anymore.”
His story is not just personal—it’s emblematic of the broader challenges facing coastal communities that depend on the sea. As net quality declines and demand shrinks, fishermen like Syed find it increasingly hard to survive.
Without proper oversight and support from relevant authorities, sustaining a life from the sea is becoming more uncertain by the day. For families like Syed Mohammad’s, every cast of the net is now a gamble between hope and hardship.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
Photo: Hussain Shetu
