Bangladesh Crisis Hits Tables In Bengal, Northeast, As Hilsa Import Stops

The popular fish markets of Kolkata are missing the best seller this monsoon, the Hilsa from the Padma river — yet another fallout of the turmoil in Bangladesh. Hilsa is the national fish of Bangladesh. But it is also a hot favourite across the border — in West Bengal and the north eastern parts of India. West Bengal consumes the lion’s share of the imports, with the demand spiking further around Durga Puja.

Hilsa, an estuarine fish, goes upriver during their breeding season in the monsoon, that is when the catch becomes extensive. And although the fish is found in several southeast Asian countries, the taste of Bangladesh Hilsa is the one India swears by,

“There is an abrupt fall in Bangladeshi Hilsa supply, so prices will go up. We are already selling a kg of Hilsa at Rs 1,800, that is coming illegally,” said Sankar Paul, a fishmonger in Kolkata.

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had facilitated the annual export of Hilsa to India from August to October as part of her famous Hilsa diplomacy. Even though export to other countries was stopped since 2012, the fish was allowed to be sold in India.

After West Bengal, the crisis in supply has hit Tripura the worst. The northeastern state is a key buyer of the Padma Hilsa and the supply of the delectable delicacy has come to a grinding halt.

“Supply has fallen therefore we have to raise the price,” said Tapas Sarkar, a fish seller from Agartala

“Today, I have bought Hilsa at 1,600 per kg. Earlier it used to be Rs 1,500 or even Rs 1,400… not just Hilsa, the price of other fishes have also gone up as they also come from Bangladesh,” he said.

The massive student protests in Bangladesh that escalated earlier this month, saw Sheikh Hasina step down from the post of Prime Minister and come to India. An interim government led by Muhammed Yunus is in place. But with the political situation yet to be settled, trade between India and Bangladesh has come to a standstill.

Ajay Sahai, the Director-General of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations, said last week: “We estimate that about $300 million worth of export trade has been affected due to the political crisis in Bangladesh. We export about $30 million to Bangladesh every day.”