Department of Fisheries

The Department of Fisheries is focused on balancing hilsa conservation against climate change, river siltation, and the modernization of the sector for the blue economy.

DoF was established after Bangladesh independence in 1971; Central Fisheries Department merged in April 1975; Central Marine Fisheries Department merged in 1984 to form the Marine Fisheries Wing. Headquarters: Segunbagicha, Shahbagh, Dhaka. Staff: 6,065 technical officers and supporting staff across all levels (source: DoF About page). Director General conflict resolved: Wikipedia (last updated March 2026) listed Kh. Mahbubul Haque; official DoF website listed Dr. Md. Abdur Rauf as 'acting' DG (ভারপ্রাপ্ত) at an unspecified prior date; two BSS primary source articles dated April 7 and May 9, 2026 both confirm Md Zia Haider Chowdhury as the current DG -- these are the most recent verified references and have been used. head_since is null as no appointment date was found in primary sources. The FY2025-26 BDT 3,392 crore budget covers the combined Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (DoF + Department of Livestock Services); DoF-specific allocation not separately published. Hilsa production figure of 5 lakh MT refers to FY2024-25 (July 2024-June 2025), per minister's statement at Jatka Conservation Week. Export figures (USD 388.7 million frozen seafood, FY2024-25) are from EPB via TBS/eFeedlink, cross-checked against FAO/DoF Yearbook trends. Fish sector contributed 2.52 percent to national GDP in FY2023-24, with total production 5.02 million MT exceeding the 4.89 million MT target (Fisheries Yearbook 2023-24).