A total of 532 tonnes (or 0.532 million kg) of hilsa fish including 36 tonnes (or 36,000 kg) on Saturday night has been exported to India through Benapole port in eleven days on the occasion of Durga Puja.
Meanwhile, due of a fall in customers' flow, hilsas of all sizes were sold at much lower prices in Chandpur markets.
Our Benapole Correspondent says: On the occasion of Durga Puja, a total of 0.532 million (5.32 lakh) kg hilsa fish has been exported to India through Benapole port in 11 days.
Of the total, a total of 36,000 kg hilsa was exported to the neighbouring country through Benapole port in 11 trucks till 10:00 pm on Saturday.
On the occasion of the Durga Puja, the government allowed 49 export companies to export 2,420 tonnes (2.42 million kg) of hilsa, following request of India.
Although the government allowed the export of 2.42 million kg of hilsa to India, from September 26 to October 12, total 0.532 million kg of the fish was exported through Benapole port in 11 days.
A total of 20 export firms sent 168 trucks of hilsa to Petrapole port of India through Benapole port.
The export price of hilsa per kg was US$10, which is about 1,180 in Bangladeshi taka.
On Saturday, Benapole fish market sold hilsa fish weighing less than 1 kg for Tk1,300. Per kg hilsa is being sold for Tk1,800-Tk2,000.
But the same size hilsa is being exported to India at a price of around Tk600-Tk800.
Aswadul Islam, Inspector of Fisheries Inspection and Quality Control Center of Benapole Land Port of Fisheries Department, said, the circular of hilsa export was issued a few years ago.
However, he thinks that there can be an adjustment with the domestic market price.
Benapole Customs House Deputy Commissioner Rabindra Singh said 36,000 kg of hilsa was exported to India by 11 trucks through Benapole port till 10 pm on Saturday.
Our Correspondent from Chandpur reports: The price of hilsa, all of a sudden, slumped remarkably to Tk1,000-Tk1,300 per kg in the markets of the town on Saturday as against Tk3,000 on Friday - to the relief of the middle-class people .
It was observed, hilsas weighing one kg were sold at Tk1,700 in all fish markets including Boro Station Fish Landing Ghat and Biponibagh Fish Market, a busy fish market, till late night in the district town.
Hilsas weighing 900 grams were sold for Tk1,450-Tk1,600 since late afternoon till 11.30 pm on Saturday . Hilsas weighing 500-600 grams were sold at Tk1,200 per kg while those of 300-400 grams were sold at Tk600 per kg.
But till 11.30 pm on October 12, many pieces of big, medium and small-sized hilsas remained unsold as there were no customers in all the markets.
At busy and bustling Biponibagh Fish Market, fish vendor A Hamid Babu said all his hilsas each weighing 900 to 1,200 grams or above remained unsold.
He will store them all in deep freeze and later sell them.
According to fish traders, price of hilsa has slumped due to non-export of the fish to India for the last two days.
Hilsa lovers Jashim, Anwar Parvej and another young man from Dasadi and Amanullahpur villages in Sadar upazila said at 11 pm they had bought six pieces of hilsa at the rate of Tk1,450 per kg at Biponibagh Bazar.
At Boro Station Fish Ghat, Paul Bazar, Natunbazar and Wireless Bazar, hilsa was also sold at the reduced price of Tk1,600 per kg-said fish traders and vendors .
Talking to the FE, Fish Merchants Association General Secretary Shab-e-Barat Sarker said supply of total 350 maunds of hilsa came to Fish Landing Ghat on Saturday from southern districts.
Before the ban on hilsa netting, transporting and marketing started at midnight, hilsa price slumped to Tk1,000-Tk1,400 per kg from Tk 3,000 on Friday last , just for selling out all stocked and frozen hilsas to avoid possible loss.
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