It is an ancestral occupation for Afzal, passed down through generations.
While the sea has become more unpredictable and fish stocks have declined, the Dadan system, introduced by the East India Company in the 18th century, has stayed in place, unaffected by modernity's quick encroachment.
"I signed a one-year contract as a laborer with a Mohajon [moneylender] for Tk2 lakh," Afzal explained when asked about the phrase. We go fishing in the deep sea twice a month."
Afzal received Tk75,000 up front, with the remainder paid in monthly installments.
Bashir is also unable to sell the fish he catches, which must all be donated to the moneylender regardless of their total value.
"If you cannot go to the sea due to illness, the money is deducted," Afzal explained.
He began his career when he was 16 years old and in sixth grade. Bashir's entire family of five is now dependent on his income after his father became unwell six years ago.
Bashir and 23 other fishermen went deep sea fishing in a boat sailed by a sailor.
Their salary is determined by their age and experience. Some receive Tk1 lakh per year, while others receive Tk2.5 lakh.
A large fishing boat can accommodate 22-28 fishermen, as well as a leader, a craftsman, and a cook.
They all spend 10-15 days at sea on each expedition, which costs them 2,000 liters of oil and food totaling roughly Tk3.5 lakh.
The catch is normally worth Tk5-20 lakh.
"When I go to the sea to catch fish, my family's economic wheels keep turning." If I do not do so, they will go without food. I can't always afford to give my three-year-old nutritious meals, let alone buy medicine for him when he gets sick. "Because we can't afford a doctor in town, the pharmacy next door is our only option," he explained.
Men like Bashir are aware of the dangers of their mission, but most people have little to no option.
Bashir has been trapped in a storm 8-10 times throughout his life.
He has not witnessed much progress in the fishing method during his lifetime. They still rely on the wind and water flow to assess how safe the seas are.
Furthermore, he must borrow money while fishing is restricted for 87 days of the year. He receives no government assistance.
Abdul Moin, a fisherman from the Jintala area of Patharghata upazila in the Barguna coastal district, told TBS that when they return to the shore after collecting fish, they can hear about weather signals via radio or coast.
"However, when you're at sea, you have to look around to determine your course." "We take to the sea depending on the weather, but we are frequently hit by storms," he explained."storms," he explained.
A never-ending noose
Dadan is a monetary loan typically offered to farmers that is to be repaid in the form of produce at a predetermined price - usually lower than the normal market rate.
For Abdul Moin and many others, the exploitative Dadan system is also the only source of credit.
"This year, I borrowed Tk1 lakh from a moneylender and now I have to bring the fish and sell it to him." When we get back, we have to sell the fish at the moneylender's market. "We have to pay the lender his money along with 8% of the sales," he explained.
But it doesn't stop there.
The system frequently condemns fishermen to generational cycles of poverty. Despite taking risks, many people return empty-handed and in debt.
Most fishermen cannot eat daily meals and do not own property. The water is a terrible mistress, but the land is no less so.
They must obtain loans from moneylenders or even boat owners because they do not own boats or fishing nets and have no legal contract with the latter.
According to Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, head of the Barguna District Fishing Trawler Owners Association, there are approximately 3,000 trawlers in the district that go fishing in the river and sea.
"We, along with fishermen and sailors, are hostages to the wholesalers," he said.
He explained the system as follows: the costs are paid after all sales. The remaining earnings are distributed in yet another complicated manner. The fisherman receives approximately 37%, but the boat owner receives an astounding 63%.
In 2017, there were 16.20 lakh registered fishermen in the country. Identity cards have been provided to 14.20 lakh of them. There are currently around 200 industrial trawlers and 68,000 indigenous engine-driven fishing boats on the sea.
Fishermen from neighboring countries, especially India, have expanded their fishing in Bangladeshi waters during the moratorium.
The Bangladeshi Coast Guard apprehends many of them, but they cite the winds as an excuse.
"Indian fishermen catch fish by throwing about five different types of nets in the deep sea," Taiyab, 65, a fisherman in the Moheshkhali Matarbari area, explained. It takes us 12 to 15 days to fill a boat with fish, whereas they only require 2-3 days."
He claims that Indian fishermen take advantage of the restriction period to fish in Bangladeshi waters.
"We have informed the higher officials about this several times but no resolution has been reached," he said.
"If fishermen from India or any other country enter the waters of Bangladesh, we catch them," said Lt Commander Shahidul Islam of the Bangladesh Coast Guard. We do our best with the resources we have to maintain the sea safe."
In response to the claim that the Coast Guard is not active in the deep sea, he stated, "Our ships routinely patrol the deep sea." Bangladesh's waterways are also patrolled by naval ships."
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