BD exports 18 tonnes of hilsa to India

Bangladesh has sent 18 tonnes of hilsa to India as part of a special consideration to give West Bengal residents a taste of the popular fish ahead of Durga Puja, reports bdnews24.com.
The first shipment crossed the border into India on Thursday afternoon, according to Mahabubur Rahman, the fish quarantine officer at Benapole Land Port.
"As of 3pm, eight exporting companies from Bangladesh sent hilsa shipments to India. The export price of hilsa has been set at $10 per kg.
Benapole Land Port Deputy Director (Traffic) Rashedul Sajib Nazir said that 2,420 tonnes of hilsa are going to India during Durga Puja. Forty-nine approved companies will be able to export the fish until Oct 12.
In a notification issued by the Ministry of Commerce on Saturday, the government allowed the export of 3,000 tonnes of hilsa. However, it then revised the amount to 2,420 tonnes.
The notification said that 49 companies were approved to export hilsa. Of them, 48 have received permission to export up to 50 tonnes and one company, Folk Fashion, has received conditional approval for hilsa exports of 20 tonnes. Most of the hilsa will be exported to India through Benapole land port.
The letter of approval states that if the government imposes any restrictions on the harvesting and transportation of the fish, the export permit will expire as soon as it takes effect.
The approval conditions for the order say that exports can be halted at any time if the government deems it necessary.
The Padma hilsa is beloved by West Bengal residents, but the Bangladesh government has occasionally halted its export from time to time in consideration of local demand.
Hilsa was exported to India before 2012. The government stopped the export of hilsa after 2012 due to a decrease in hilsa production.
Although hilsa exports were halted, last year the government allowed 79 companies to export 3,500 tonnes of hilsa to India under special consideration for Durga Puja, but only 631.24 tonnes were exported. In 2022, the government gave 59 companies approval to export 2,900 tonnes of hilsa, but only 1,300 tonnes were exported. In 2021, 115 companies were approved to export 4,600 tonnes of hilsa to India. In 2020, the government approved the export of 1,450 tonnes of hilsa for Durga Puja, while the amount went as low as 500 tonnes in 2019.