Angling in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a paradise for anglers. Because there are more than 1000 big and small rivers in the country, from which the country takes its name 'The Mother of Rivers'.
In Bangladesh we do have enormous opportunities for both freshwater and saltwater fishing. Wallago Attu (locally called Boal), Rohu, different varieties of Carp, different kinds of Sneakhead, Giant Catfish etc. are the main target fish of freshwater angling.

A 14.5  KG Chital fish ( Notopterus Chitala) landed by a local from the Jamuna, Sirajganj last year

There are hundreds of angling location around the country yet to be explored and to be put into focus for attracting tourists. Among them Chalan Bill in Pabna & Rajshahi, Hakaluki Haor in Sylhet and Sunamganj, the Brahmaputra River in Mymensingh district, the Jamuna River in Jamalpur and Sirajgonj, the Surma River in Sylhet are all good locations worth mentioning. Besides these there are some harder to reach locations well worth the effort. To mention, Boga Lake in Bandarban District is one of the least explored locations in the country. It is a freshwater lake at a height of about 2000 feet, at the top of hills. It has some giant fish that adventurous anglers go after. Poor communication system is a problem to get there. In Rangamati district there are plenty of hot spots for angling. You will simply fall in love with the beautiful Kaptai Lake and can enjoy the fishing all day and night.

A 100 kg bagarius(Dwarf Goonch) was caught and sold in the Poradoh Fair, Bogra, Bangladesh on February 9, 2011. The fish was sold in Taka 65,000 (US$ 1000 Approx). News: The Daily Kaler Kantha, 10-Feb-2011. http://www.dailykalerkantho.com/?view=de​tails&archiev=yes&arch_date=10-02-2011&t​ype=gold&data=Laptop&pub_no=427&cat_id=1​&menu_id=56&news_type_id=1&index=13

A 55kg black carp was hooked by a local angler on January 25, 2011 from Jessore Municipality pond. It was 5 feet 2 inches in length and 3 feet 6 inches in width. News - The Daily Kaler Kantho, January 26, 2011. http://www.dailykalerkantho.com/?view=de​tails&type=gold&data=Download&pub_no=412​&cat_id=1&menu_id=14&news_type_id=1&inde​x=3

I personally am a fan of wild fishing. I mostly like to fish in rivers or canals. And Bangladesh is indeed a place for wild fishing if you have good connections. I must mention the rivers of Khulna district, to be more specific the river of Sundarbans. Here you will find a variety of both freshwater and saltwater fishes around the channels. The Meghna River is one of the most prominent hot-spots for anglers for game fishing. Bhairab, Daudkandi, Chandpur, and Banks of Narayangonj are also exciting places for anglers. Jaflong at Sylhet is another spot for fishing. Here you can try your luck for landing huge Silver Mahseer (Locally known as Mohashol). There are also some wonderful locations around the Capital Dhaka. To mention but a few; the Tora Bridge and Chaira at Hemayetpur, Itabhara at Keranigonj, Kunda at Boliarpur, the Bongshee River at Savar, Kaliganga River at Singair, and some rivers at Nawabganj etc. There are also some private reservoirs around Dhaka where anglers can fish for a small fee. So, if you want more information about angling in Bangladesh feel free to email me.