Saidpur Dried Fish Market Thrives With Over 100 Crore Taka in Annual Trade

The traditional dried fish market located in Saidpur, Nilphamari, Bangladesh, has established itself as a major commercial hub with an annual trade volume exceeding 100 crore taka. Operating for approximately 42 to 45 years, the marketplace has steadily expanded its economic footprint and currently features around 300 registered business establishments that drive the local and regional trade sectors.

A remarkable diversity of products defines the marketplace, with traders offering approximately 250 species of dried fish to buyers. This extensive inventory attracts commercial attention from a wide geographic area, drawing in supply shipments not only from Chattogram but also from Khulna, Mohipur, Kuakata, Bhola, Barishal, Pabna, Atrai, and Kuti.

Commercial activity within the market reaches its peak twice a week, specifically on Saturdays and Tuesdays, when the primary buying and selling transactions take place. The bustling trade facilitates a daily dispatch of 18 to 20 tons of dried fish from this central Saidpur location to various destinations across the country, supported by business operators such as Abul Hossain Biswas, Aftab Uddin Biswas, Amir Hossain Dewani, and Alamgir Hossain operating out of Munshi Market.

Market demand has also demonstrated a notable upward trajectory, having increased by at least 25 percent over the past few years. Business operators within the hub generally maintain an average profit margin of 10 percent on their commercial transactions, reflecting the steady economic viability of the sector.

Beyond domestic distribution networks, the marketplace maintains an international footprint through formal trade channels. Specifically, dried fish from Saidpur has been exported to India via Letters of Credit (LC) since the 1996-97 period, cementing the market's long-standing role in cross-border commerce.