Hilsa fish pieces cooked in mustard are seen in this photo
Credit: iStock Photo
Any fish lover worth their salt knows what it means to have a piece of hilsa from the Padma river on their plate. But this time around, fish lovers in India, especially West Bengal, might find their plates lacking the piscine delicacy now that Sheikh Hasina is no longer the premiere of the country.
Export of the famed Padma hilsa is restricted by the Bangladesh government, but Hasina, as a gesture of goodwill, used to send a consignment of the freshwater fish to India every year between August and September.
This was the main reason why Indian Bengalis could enjoy the delicacy during Durga Puja or other festivities during this time of the year.
Hasina reportedly sent around 3,950 metric tonnes of hilsa to West Bengal through the Petrapole border, from where the fish was transported throughout the country.
Bangladesh stopped the export of hilsa in 2012 to meet its rising domestic demand. The situation has worsened with hilsa supply being quite low this year from West Bengal as well, as per a report by the Economic Times.
The publication also said that in some parts of the country, hilsa from Myanmar is being sold as Bangladeshi hilsa.
The hilsa which enters from Bangladesh is through grey market routes and carries a hefty price of Rs 2,200 to Rs 2,400 per kilogram, reports said.
ET spoke to the Fish Importer's Association secretary Anwar Maqsood regarding the situation, who said, "Prices of hilsa from Myanmar and Odisha are already up by 30 per cent compared to last year. Hilsa from Bangladesh will be priced higher than that," further adding, "The situation in Bangladesh is so volatile that it is unlikely that hilsa from Bangladesh will come this year."
Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika reported that fish sellers have suffered losses due to the tensions in Bangladesh as some had already paid in advance for tonnes of hilsa that they had expected to arrive from the neighbouring country.
The publication has also reported that goods worth crores are held up at the India-Bangladesh border due to the political unrest, among which are vegetables that can rot and lead to further losses to traders.