Govt seeks crores in unpaid fees from the country’s lone commercial crocodile farm formerly owned by PK Halder

The country’s first commercial crocodile farm was once promoted as a model for a high-value wildlife industry capable of supplying luxury leather markets abroad. More than two decades later, the operation is mired in legal disputes and burdened by unpaid government fees worth several crore taka.

It is also cut off from export markets that once sustained its business.

The farm—Reptiles Farm Limited—located in Hatiber village in Mymensingh's Bhaluka upazila, continues to operate despite years of regulatory disputes. Forest officials say the operators have accumulated several crore taka in unpaid possession fees while repeatedly seeking court orders that have delayed collection. 

The farm was established in 2004 on roughly 13.5 acres as the country's first commercial crocodile breeding facility. The project was founded by Mushtaq Ahmed, while Mezboul Haque initially held a 36% stake. 

Ownership changed in 2012 after the original shareholders exited, bringing the farm under the control of Prashanta Kumar Halder, better known as PK Halder.

The farm later became entangled in one of Bangladesh's largest financial scandals. PK Halder used the project as collateral to obtain nearly 60 crore taka in loans from International Leasing and Financial Services Limited. 

When authorities froze his bank accounts in 2020 during investigations into alleged financial crimes, uncertainty spread to the future of the crocodile farm itself.

The High Court intervened in 2022, appointing a six-member board to oversee operations following a petition from International Leasing. A year later, the financial institution auctioned the property, which was purchased by Uddipan NGO for 38.2 crore taka. 

Despite the change in ownership, the farm has yet to regain commercial momentum.

Government regulations introduced in 2019 require crocodile farms to pay an annual possession fee of 1,000 taka for each crocodile. The Valuka facility now houses around 4,000 crocodiles, according to officials, yet no possession fees have been paid since the regulation came into force.

The contrast with the farm's early years is stark. Beginning with just 75 crocodiles, the facility exported 67 frozen crocodiles to Germany in 2010 and shipped 1,507 crocodile skins to Japan between 2014 and 2019. 

Those exports have since stopped as legal disputes surrounding the farm remain unresolved.

Mir Khairul Alam, an adviser to Uddipan NGO, told Daily Waadaa that the organisation was working through the courts to restart exports.

"Exporting crocodile skins requires extensive processing, and the legal framework remains complicated," he said. "We are following the High Court's process and hope exports can resume soon because they are essential for the farm."

The legal uncertainty has also affected the visitor experience. Tourists continue to pay 200 taka to enter the facility and observe the reptiles, but many leave disappointed by the absence of other attractions.

Talking with Waadaa, Farhad Hossain, who travelled from Sherpur to visit the farm, said seeing the crocodiles up close was worthwhile but the overall experience fell short.

"There is nothing else here," he said. "There isn't even a place to have tea. A few shops and rides for children would make a big difference."

Local resident Lal Mia echoed those concerns, saying the condition of the facility suggested its operators lacked commitment to maintaining it.

Forest officials argue that the farm's problems extend beyond unpaid government dues. 

Md Chhanaullah Patwari, Conservator of Forests for the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Region in Agargaon, told Waadaa that authorities had repeatedly requested payment of the possession fees, only to face legal challenges that stalled enforcement.

"The business objective has never been clear," he said. "Instead of improving production quality, the focus from the beginning appeared to be securing large bank loans."

Questions have also been raised about regulatory compliance. Valuka Upazila Livestock Officer Ariful Islam told Waadaa that although the farm is required to obtain a licence from the local livestock office, it has never done so. 

He said responsibility for oversight rests “primarily with the Wildlife and Nature Conservation authorities.”

Wildlife experts argue that the industry's problems are not solely the result of poor management. Professor Md. Rafiqul Alam of Bangladesh Agricultural University said the annual possession fee should be simplified, suggesting a one-time payment rather than yearly renewals. 

He also called on the government to develop export markets for crocodile meat, teeth and other by-products alongside leather, while maintaining strict registration and identification systems for every animal to ensure proper conservation standards.

The sector received renewed political attention earlier this month when State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku visited the Valuka farm. 

During the visit, he reviewed breeding operations, conservation practices and management systems, and met with crocodile farmers to discuss obstacles facing the industry.

The minister expressed optimism that “stronger policy support, modern production methods and more effective management could still allow crocodile farming to contribute to Bangladesh's exports, rural economy and wildlife conservation.” 

Experts however said whether that vision can be realised may depend less on the farm's growing crocodile population than on its ability to resolve years of legal disputes and restore confidence in a business that has struggled to fulfil its original promise.

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