With barely a month left the 10-day-long Durga Puja to begin, the auspicious festival is most likely to put a big hole in common people's pockets of Bengalis in West Bengal.
This is simply because of one prime reason: the military-backed interim government of Bangladesh's ban on the export of hilsa (ilish) fish to India. Due to this, there would be a huge shortage of the celebrated fish in India, and the prices are bound to exceed expectations.
According to a report by the Bangladeshi daily, Dhaka Tribune, the advisor to the Bangladesh Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock – Farida Akhter – had confirmed the ban of the export of ilish to India citing they need to ensure sufficient supply for local consumers.
"We cannot allow ilish to be exported while our own people cannot buy them. This year, I have instructed the Ministry of Commerce to prevent any ilish exports to India during Durga Puja," Dhaka Tribune quoted an adviser to the Bangladesh Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Farida Akhter said last week.
Each year before and during Durga Puja, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina used to continue the long-standing practice of her country sending large consignments of Padma ilish to India. But things have changed rapidly since her exile months ago and the new government taking over.
Bangladesh, which produces around 70 per cent of the world's ilish – national fish of country – imposed a ban on its export back in 2012 due to disputes over the Teesta River water-sharing agreement. However, then, PM Hasina used to facilitate the export of 'illish' fish before Durga Puja, Poila Boisakh (Bengali New Year) and Jamai Soshti (a ritual in the honour son-in-laws).
The ban continued until 2022, after which Bangladesh lifted it. On 21 September 2023, nine cargo trucks (each with five tonnes of ilish loaded on it) arrived from Barishal via the Petrapole land port at Bongaon in West Bengal's 24 Parganas (N), reported The Telegraph. This was a special gesture for Durga Puja by the Bangladesh Ministry of Commerce, which had permitted 79 fish exporters to send 3,950 tonnes of hilsa to India.
But now, the caretaker government of Bangladesh has reimposed the ban on ilish. Despite this, Indians will get supplies from Odisha, Myanmar, and Gujarat, and the prices of the celebrated fish will increase.
With the ban reimposed again by the Bangladesh government, the prices of ilish are bound to soar during Durga Puja. According to a report India Today, the retailers at Delhi's CR part are expecting a price of ₹2,200 to ₹2,400 a kilo for 1-1.3-kg-size hilsa from Bangladesh. This was between ₹1,800 and ₹2,000 a kilo a few months ago.
"We are selling a 1-1.3-kg-size hilsa from Bangladesh for ₹2,200 to ₹2,400 a kilo now. The price was between ₹1,800 and ₹2,000 a kilo a few months ago," India Today quoted a retailer as saying.
