Heavy Rain Causes Widespread Cropland Damage in Rajshahi Division
Heavy rainfall in Rajshahi division has caused widespread damage to cropland, with at least 19,568 hectares affected, mostly aman paddy fields. The crisis has been exacerbated by the uncontrolled digging of hundreds of large ponds for commercial aquaculture over the past two decades.
The head of the agricultural development department in Rajshahi district, whose name is not publicly available, has attributed the damage to the arbitrary digging of fishing ponds and the neglect of the natural drainage system. Pond owners erected dykes around their ponds to protect their fish, but this prevented rainwater from flowing into the lowland and being carried away to the river system. The push for fish farming in the Barind region has led many landowners to shift from rice cultivation, seeking faster profits.
The number of ponds in Rajshahi district increased by 25 percent in just a decade, from 40,788 in 2015 to 51,275 in 2025. This unplanned excavation of ponds on fertile farmland has created barriers across lowlands and natural canals, exacerbating the situation. The recent heavy rain laid bare the problem, causing water stagnation and submerging hundreds of aman paddy fields. Large quantities of fish were washed away, adding to the crop damage.
About 19,000 hectares of cropland, especially of aman paddy, have been affected by the recent rainfall in the division. The production loss depends on whether the fields can dry within the next few days. The crisis serves as a stark reminder of the need for better planning and regulation of aquaculture activities to prevent such disasters in the future.
