The development comes days after the interim government, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, earlier this month imposed a ban on hilsa export to India to meet domestic demand, discontinuing a long-standing tradition of Bangladesh as a “goodwill gesture” to its neighbour.
The Indian fish importers will have to bring this volume of Hilsa within October 12.
“We had asked the Bangladesh government to export hilsa. Initially, they had refused but subsequently the government decided to export 3,000 tonnes hilsa to India. But the order that has been issued today for imports is for 2,420 tonnes. 49 companies from Bangladesh will each export 50 tonnes of Hilsa to India,” said Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary at the Fish Importer’s Association.
But Maqsood is worried whether the Indian fish importers will be able to pick up these quantities within October 12. “It takes at least a month to bring Hilsa fish from Bangladesh,” he said.
At present, Hilsa is coming to India from Myanmar and Odisha and some are entering from Bangladesh through a grey route. For the Bangladeshi variety, prices can be anywhere between Rs 2200 – Rs 2400 per kg, which are entering the country through the grey route. . ‘Padmar ilish’ (hilsa from river Padma in Bangladesh) is believed to be of superior quality in taste.Since 2012 Bangladesh has not been exporting hilsa so that their own demand is met and small-sized hilsa are not caught and sold in the market. But ahead of the festive season India, Sheikh Hasina’s government would send hilsa to India as a “gift”. The hilsa would into West Bengal from Bangladesh through the Petrapole border via Bongaon and then would be supplied to different parts of the country, where hilsa has a demand.Last year ahead of the Durga Puja, the Sheikh Hasina government had given permission to Bangladeshi traders to sell nearly 3,950 metric tons of the special Padma Hilsa to India.
This year till date there has not been a good supply of Hilsa from West Bengal. In places like Delhi, where there is a demand for Hilsa fish, the fish traders are selling Myanmar variety of Hilsa as Bangladeshi hilsa.
Hilsa is a deep marine fish but moves towards the estuary in search of ‘sweet water’ to lay eggs. As the hilsa loves sweet water, heavy rainfall in its breeding sites helps produce better fish. When rainfall helps lower the salinity of the water, the hilsa tastes better. A heavy downpour does a world of good to the quality of the fish.