Photographed on Friday afternoon, a crowd of hilsa buyers at Chandpur Fish Ghat before of the government ban on the netting, transporting and marketing of the silver fish came into effect — FE Photo OUR CORRESPONDENT
CHANDPUR, Oct 12: Before a 22-day government ban on catching, selling and transporting hilsha came into effect from today (October 13), price of the most delectable silver fish has reached Tk3,000 per kilogram in the markets of Chandpur district.
The ban prohibiting hilsa netting in the rivers Padma-Meghna will continue until November 3 to enable the mother hilsas to safely and comfortably lay eggs in the sweet waters of the rivers after coming from the sea.
The ban imposed in Chandpur covers an area ranging from Shatnol in Matlab Uttar upazila up to the end of Haimchar upazila via Chandpur Sadar (70 kilometres).
The three upazilas are home to about 50,o00 fishermen and they will be rendered workless by the ban, said Sakib Majhi, Omar Ali and Rahim Gazi and many affected fishermen of Chandpur Sadar.
The moment before the ban came into effect, the price of hilsa jumped to Tk 3,000 per kg in all the fish markets of Chandpur town while the fish sold for Tk 2,400 to Tk 2,500 per kg till Thursday evening.
Supply crunch at Chandpur Fish Landing Ghat from southern districts was cited as the main reason of the spiraling prices of hilsa, which disappointed the traders too, said veteran fish merchant Nurul Islam (70) and others.
While visiting some fish markets in the district town on Friday noon and evening, this correspondent observed that around 150 maunds of hilsa was supplied to this ghat from southern districts- Bhola, Barguna and Noakhali.
This correspondent while visiting the largest and oldest fish ghat known as Boro Station Fish Landing ghat found that there was ample supply of hilsa and also rush of people from far and near to buy the fish.
The customers were seen to buy hilsa at Tk3,000 per kg- which veteran fish merchants- Didar Khan, Mostafa Khan, Nurul Islam Bokaul and others termed as the record price in last fifty years. Some buyers were disappointed seeing the exorbitant price at the fish ghat.
A few hilsa lovers, who came along with their families from Dhaka, were seen to buy fresh hilsas and have them fried in a nearby restaurant and relish their taste.
However, traders said due to supply shortage, the price of hilsa has jumped to Tk3,000 per kg at the fish ghat.
A hilsa weighing 900 grams was also sold nearly at the same rate of Tk2,500 per kg.
Hilsas of 500 gram were sold at Tk1500 per kg while those of 300 grams were sold at Tk700 per kg.
So, many poor and the middle-class people could not afford to buy even small sized hilsas to gratify their craving for the silver fish- which is mostly considered as a Bengali delicacy.
Sarwar Hossain, a retired government employee, and other customers only stared at the displayed hilsas helplessly and got disappointed at Biponibagh Bazar- a busy and bustling fish market in the district town.
They blamed the government for exporting hilsa to India. A few people said with the price (Tk2,800) of a hilsa, they can buy four kg beef easily.
They opined cut pieces of hilsa can be bought but the trend is yet to start in Chandpur's markets.
Talking to the FE, Fish Merchants Association General Secretary Shabe Barat said all the fish trading houses at this ghat will remain shut during the government ban till November 3.
Meanwhile, the district administration led by Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mohsinuddin has taken up strict measures to make the hilsa ban a success.
Bangladesh Coastguard and River Police are also ready to effectively implement the ban.
Besides, awareness meeting with fishermen was also organised at different places of Chandpur Sadar, Haimchar and Matlab Uttar upazilas.
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