Kolkata: Over 50 metric tonnes of Hilsa have reached West Bengal from Bangladesh, after the interim government in the neighbouring country allowed export of the fish to India till mid-October during the Durga puja festival, importers said on Saturday.
Another consignment of the same amount of ‘Padmar Ilish’ (hilsa caught from Padma river), a favourite delicacy of Bengalis, is expected very soon.
The Fish Importers’ Association recently wrote to Bangladesh’s interim government urging it to allow export of Hilsa as it has been doing during the festival as a goodwill gesture for the last five years.
“The first consignment of over 50 metric tonnes arrived two days back via Petrapole border. It was sent to several wholesale markets in Kolkata and districts. Another consignment of around 50 MT is expected to arrive in a day,” Association secretary Syed Anwar Maqsood told PTI.
The weight of each exported Hilsa is from 700 grams to 1 kg and the price ranges between Rs 900 per kg and Rs 1300-1500 a kg, he said.
The Kolkata-based national sea fish importers-exporters body is hopeful about getting a total of over 2000 metric tonnes of Hilsa by October 12, the cut-off date for arrival of the consignment from Bangladesh. Fishing of hilsa is banned for a period in the neighbouring country from October 13.
The first consignment has reached wholesale markets at Patipukur, Sealdah, Howrah among others in south Bengal, and Siliguri in north Bengal and has been sold across different markets for the past two days.
“We expect the weight of each fish will be more in the coming days. The demand is high, but customers are not very happy with the size and taste,” Sukumar Das, a fish seller at south Kolkata’s Baisnabghata Rathtala market.
Each of the five fish sellers in that market has a stock of 15-20 kg of imported Hlisa.
Bangladesh’s interim government on September 21 said it would export 3,000 tonnes of Hilsa to India coinciding with the upcoming Durga Puja, revising its earlier decision.
“Against the backdrop of appeals by the exporters, approval has been given to export 3,000 tonnes of Hilsa (to India), fulfilling the specific conditions on the occasion of the upcoming Durga Puja,” the Bangladesh Commerce Ministry said in a statement.
Durga Puja will be celebrated from October 9 to 13 this year.
In 2023 when Sheikh Hasina was the prime minister, Bangladesh allowed export of a total of 4,000 tonnes to India during the Durga Puja festivities.