To improve the alternative livelihood of 1000 fishermen families dependent.
COAST distributes 1 crore taka to 1000 fishermen in Teknaf
Today, 29 June 2025, COAST Foundation distributed 1 crore taka of financial assistance to improve the livelihood of 1000 fishermen family’s dependent on the Naf River.
COAST Foundation has been implementing the Fishers Livelihood Project in Teknaf Upazila with the support of Vital Foundation, a donor organization. Due to the long-term ban on fishing in the Naf River, the livelihood of the fishermen has been severely affected.
COAST has been working to develop their alternative livelihoods. The most affected fishermen from Teknaf Sadar and Municipality, Hnila and Hoi Kyung Unions of Teknaf Upazila have been included in this project.
COAST finalized 1000 fisher’s households with the support and approval of Upazila administration and the respective Union Parishad. The targeted 1000 families have been trained in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock and the project provided them seeds, fertilizers, and other assistance to start their alternative income-generating work.
After the training, they have started using various types of climate-adaptive techniques in their home, such as: sack method cultivation, mixed method cultivation etc.
To implement their work, today, the project has provided 1 crore taka of financial assistance through Nagad Mobile Banking to improve their livelihoods. Each of 1,000 households received BDT. 10,000.
Each family has already prepared their family business plan. COAST-trained staff are assisting them in implementing their family business plan. The fishermen’s families will invest this assistance to increase their family income.
Farida Begum of Hnila Union in Teknaf Upazila said, “I am very happy to receive financial assistance from COAST and Vitol Foundation. I will start my small business with this money. I will buy 1 goat and I will build a goat house with some money. I will try to make a profit by raising goats myself.”
Yasmin Begum of Teknaf Upazila said, “Our situation was very good before the fishing ban. Now, everyone is thinking about the Rohingyas, but the fishermen’s families are living in a very miserable condition, even worse than the Rohingyas.
She also said, I will use this money to start a chicken farm. I have raised chickens before, so I hope I will be successful in this work. I will take my work forward with my own money if needed.”
SK Ahsan Uddin, Upazila Nibahi Officer, Teknaf said that this assistance from COAST Foundation and Vitol Foundation will be helpful for the fishermen’s families. They will get an opportunity to increase their family income in alternative ways. I hope they will use the financial assistance properly and work to increase their income.
