Hilsa Fish, Bangladesh. Photo: Collected
On the occasion of the upcoming Durga Puja, the interim government has taken a policy decision to export hilsa fish to India with conditions. Both the common people of the Indian state of West Bengal and the importers are happy with the permission to send this commercial consignment.
Although hilsa is caught locally in West Bengal, it is not enough to meet the huge demand of the state. Therefore, hilsa has to be imported from Gujarat or Myanmar every year. Especially before Durga Puja, the demand for hilsa increases a lot. Every year, traders of West Bengal seek special permission from the Bangladesh government to import hilsa to meet this demand in the market. This time too, the Bangladesh government has responded to that request, but some conditions have been attached to the export to protect the country's interests.
The interim government has approved the export of 1,200 tons of hilsa to India in principle. With this decision, the common people of West Bengal are saying, 'Hilsa is coming from Bangladesh, this is very good news. We are waiting for hilsa.' Importers of West Bengal are also happy with this. West Bengal hilsa importer Syed Anwar Moksed said, 'This decision has highlighted the bridge between the two Bengals and it will play an effective role in improving the relations between the two countries.'
It is worth noting that since 2014, the then government had stopped hilsa exports considering the local demand of Bangladesh. However, since 2019, hilsa has started being sent to West Bengal again before Durga Puja every year.
The Commerce Ministry has said that interested hilsa exporters will have to apply in hard copy by September 11 (5 pm). The application will have to be accompanied by the updated trade license, ERC, income tax certificate, VAT certificate, sales contract, and license from the Department of Fisheries. The minimum export price of hilsa per kg has been set at US$12.5. The ministry also said that those who applied without an invitation will also have to submit a new application. Last year, 3,000 metric tons of hilsa were approved for export on the occasion of Durga Puja, but later the amount was increased to 2,420 tons.
Source: Online/GFMM
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