Lament for hilsa in West Bengal international

Monsoon season means hilsa fish. However, most of the hilsa fish that thrives in West Bengal and India comes from Bangladesh. But after the fall of Sheikh Hasina, its impact reached the fish market of West Bengal. The people of Upper Bengal are feeling the shortage of hilsa from the Padma River.

Hilsa, an estuarine fish, is most in demand during the rainy season. Although this fish is available in several South East Asian countries, the taste of hilsa in Bangladesh is completely different. Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, as part of her famous Hilsa diplomacy, granted annual hilsa export facility to India from August to October, which is now a thing of the past.

Since 2012, the export of hilsa to other countries has been stopped by Bangladesh, but the fish is only allowed to be sold in India. As a result of this fish exchange, the diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh also improved. However, after the fall of Hasina's government, not only West Bengal, but also Tripura saw a famine of hilsa.

In this context, Kolkata fish trader Shankar Pal said, 'Hilsa fish is not being imported from Bangladesh now. So naturally the price of hilsa fish has increased. At the moment, 1 kg of hilsa is being sold for 1 thousand 800 taka, even they are coming illegally. And after a few days these fish will not be available.'

Agartala fish seller Tapas Sarkar said, 'The supply has decreased so we have to increase the price. Today I bought hilsa at 1600 taka per kg, which was 1500 taka or 1400 taka earlier. But not only hilsa, the price of other fish has also increased tremendously.

Federation of Indian Export Organizations director general Ajay Saha said last week, 'According to our estimates, the export trade worth around $300 million has been affected due to the political crisis in Bangladesh. Where about 30 million dollars of Bangladesh are exported every day, nothing is happening here now.'