For the first time in five years, Bengalis will not enjoy ‘Padma ilish’ (hilsa from the Padma River) during Durga Puja this year. The interim government in Bangladesh has decided not to continue its hilsa export to India, prioritising domestic demand.The Fish Importers’ Association in Kolkata had requested the Bangladesh government to allow the continuation of hilsa exports as per the usual practice. Since 2019, under the leadership of the now-deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh had been exporting over 1,000 tonnes of hilsa to India in the month leading up to Durga Puja.On August 9, the association wrote to Bangladesh government adviser Touhid Hossain, asking to permit limited hilsa trade. However, Farida Akhtar, an adviser to Bangladesh’s fish and animal resource ministry, has refused the request, citing rising domestic demand. Reports from Dhaka indicate that Akhtar has instructed the commerce ministry to ensure no hilsa exports this year.Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary of the Fish Importers’ Association, acknowledged the slim chances of receiving Padma ilish this year. Adding to concerns, a 22-day hilsa fishing ban will begin next month to allow the fish to reproduce.”Earlier, we had been importing around 5,000 tonnes of hilsa a year from Bangladesh through the Petrapole land customs station,” Maqsood said. “The trade was banned by the Bangladesh government in 2012. From September 2019, the government had allowed hilsa trade only during Durga Puja as a goodwill gesture,” he added.« Back to recommendation storiesIn the past three years, India received varying amounts of hilsa during Durga Puja—1,300 tonnes in 2022 and 2021, and 1,200 tonnes in 2020. However, these amounts were less than what was sanctioned by the Bangladesh government.With the official trade halted, hilsa is reportedly being smuggled across the border from Tripura to Kolkata. Hilsa from Myanmar and Gujarat, though considered less tasty, are also available in the market.(with ToI inputs)
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