No plan to lift ban on hilsha export: Tofail

The government has no plan to lift the ban on export of hilsha to ensure smooth supply of the country's most coveted fish in local market, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said in the city Wednesday.

"How much we get from export of hilsha fish? We don't have any immediate plan to resume hilsha export," Tofail told BSS.

Referring to the upcoming month of Ramadan, the commerce minister said people will enjoy the fish at an affordable price on the special month.

The government on July 31, 2012 imposed the ban on hilsa export to keep its prices at reasonable level in  the local market.

Bangladesh had stopped hilsa export temporarily to meet the domestic demand.

Meanwhile, the civil society apprehended that resuming the export of the hilsha fish would lead to a shorter supply in the domestic market, prompting escalation of the price which the lower and the middle income sections of society would not be able to afford.

According to the Department of Fisheries (DoF), the hilsa catch in the last fiscal stood about at 391 thousand tonnes.