Fishermen in Feni’s Sonagazi upazila have alleged that miscreants looted fish worth Tk 5 crore from a fisheries project after they refused to pay Tk 50 lakh in extortion money.

The incident took place at the Char Khondakar and Char Ramnarayan fisheries projects. On Sunday, affected fishermen and project owners formed a human chain in front of the Feni Deputy Commissioner’s office and submitted a memorandum to the superintendent of police.

According to the farmers, armed assailants stormed the project late Tuesday night, holding guards and workers at gunpoint, cutting the embankment, and releasing fish into nearby rivers and ponds. The attack caused losses worth several crores of taka.

Locals captured two suspects — excavator driver Apu and his assistant Sohel — and handed them over to police. A case was filed under Section 154, and the suspects appeared in court.

Fisheries Project Owners Association President Sheikh Russel said police ignored their written complaints and pressured them to settle the matter through arbitration. Fishermen accused police of misbehaving and threatening them not to pursue the case further.

They said many had suffered devastating losses in the 2024 floods but had restarted farming with loans and personal debts. Despite repeated threats and extortion demands, they continued working to support the national fisheries sector and create employment.

Feni Superintendent of Police Md Habibur Rahman said he received the memorandum and assured that law enforcement and administration would take legal measures to protect the fisheries industry and maintain law and order.