Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh has exported a total of 532,000 kilograms of hilsa fish to India through the Benapole land port over the last 11 days, generating Tk62.77 crore in revenue.

Masudur Rahman, Revenue Officer of the port’s cargo division, confirmed the matter.

The shipments, handled by 20 exporting companies, were made under special arrangements at the request of the Indian government, despite a general halt in trade through the port due to the Durga Puja celebrations in India. According to sources, further shipments are planned to meet the high demand for hilsa during the Durga Puja season.

The interim government initially discouraged the export of hilsa, also known as Tenualosa Ilisha, but later approved the export of 2.42 million kilograms to India. Each kilogram of hilsa is being exported at $10, equivalent to around Tk1,180. However, the price in India is about Tk800-1,000 lower than the domestic market, where hilsa under 1 kilogram is being sold at Tk1,600-2,000, and fish over 1 kilogram is priced between Tk2,000-2,200.

When asked about the pricing discrepancy, Aswadul Islam, an officer from the Fish Inspection and Quality Control Center at Benapole Port, clarified that the export directive was established several years ago, setting a standardised export price.

Bangladesh, the world's largest producer of hilsa, catches approximately 600,000 tonnes annually. The fish contributes 12% of the country’s total fish production and around 1% to its GDP. The government has traditionally allowed the export of 3,000-5,000 tonnes of hilsa to India during Durga Puja to meet seasonal demand.

Meanwhile, the government has imposed a 22-day ban on hilsa fishing starting Sunday to protect spawning fish during their breeding season.