Navy to evict illegal shrimp farms from Sonadia

The Bangladesh Navy will assist in evicting illegal shrimp farms built by clearing mangrove forests on Sonadia Island in Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar.

The move follows approval of a proposal from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change by the prime minister on August 3.

The operation aims to remove illegal shrimp enclosures and restore Sonadia’s damaged biodiversity.

Environmental experts say embankments built around the farms block tidal flows through the mangrove forest’s canals, disrupting the ecosystem.

The Forest Department estimates that at least 7,000 acres of mangrove forest have been cleared on the island. The government has also taken steps to return thousands of acres of forestland to the Forest Department.

A meeting involving the Armed Forces Division, Bangladesh Navy and the Environment Ministry is expected this month to finalise the eviction plan.

The Navy may require around Tk 4 crore for the operation, while Tk 2 crore has been allocated under the relevant project.

In 2025, the Maheshkhali administration identified about 45 kilometres of embankments built for illegal shrimp farms and sought Tk 4.2 crore to remove them.

Eleven illegal shrimp farms were also evicted that year.