Hilsa has become very costlier in kitchen markets on the hype of the Pahela Baishakh celebrations, the first day of the Bangla calendar year on April 14 next.
Because of unprecedented hike in prices of the national fish, limited-income people have found Hilsa not very delicious because of their hard-pressed pockets.
The demand for Hilsa normally rises by more than 20 times before the Bangla New Year celebrations, said traders.
Panta Bhat (rice soaked in water) with fried Hilsa and several kinds of 'Bhorta' (mash) has turned into a common dish for Bangladeshis on the Pahela Baishakh in the country since time immemorial.
After visiting several markets in the capital Wednesday, the FE reporter found that the prices of the silver fish further increased by 50 per cent just in four days.
A pair of big-size Hilsa (900+ gram) sold at Tk3,200 at Banalata Kitchen Market in New Market area in the city on the day.
Md Ismail Ali, seller of the fish told the FE that he could collect only five pieces of big-sized Hilsa from Sowarighat wholesale market at Tk1350 a piece.
He said Hilsa weighing one kilogramme + sold at Tk2200-2500 per piece at retail on the day.
Md Arman, retailer at Nawabganj Bazar in the old part of the city was selling medium-sized (700-800 gram) Hilsa at Tk900-1000 per piece which was Tk700-800 three days back.
Big-sized (900+ gram) delicious fish was rare in the market and sold at Tk1500-1550 per piece on the day. The price was Tk900-950 a week back.
However, many mobile vendors are seen selling the silver fish in every lane and road of the overpopulated city at much higher prices. Afsar Ali, who was carrying Hilsha in a silver pot overhead at Azimpur area said small-sized (below 400 gram) fish was selling at Tk1000 per kg.
However, supply of the fish was seen normal as every market of the city which has a huge quantity of Hilsa but the prices are beyond the reach of common people.
Md Liakat Ali, a small tea-stall owner at Hazaribagh Park area told the FE that it is impossible to buy Hilsa at less than Tk500.
He said: "Children at home are not ready to go without Hilsa because of high prices forcing guardians to spend too much money on it."
"It would be very painful for people like me to meet kids at home without Hilsa on the Bengali New Year's Day," he said.
Bangladesh Fish Traders Association president Golam Mortaza Montu said the skyrocketing demand has triggered the hike in price.
He said the price of a big-sized fish was less than Tk700-800 two weeks back, which is Tk1700-1800 per piece at retail now.
He said supply of the fish is lower during March-April period as the government has banned fishing in major sanctuaries and their adjacent water bodies following the spawning period of Hilsa.
"The problem lies solely on people's attitude towards consuming Hilsa during the Baishakh festival. The scenario was not the same 15-16 years back," he said.
He said a huge quantity of fish is being smuggled into India. This is also responsible for a hike in prices of big-sized Hilsa.
He also pointed out prices of the fish skyrocketed a few days before Pahela Baishakh last year but fell drastically on the night before the festival day due to lack of consumers.
The Department of Fisheries (DoF) is observing the Jatka Week and it has been campaigning to bar fishermen from catching jatka (fry) and mother Hilsa, said assistant director of the DoF Masud Ara Mome.
She said the preservation programme of the government has helped increase production of the national fish to 0.384 million tonnes in the last financial year (FY'14) from 0.35 million tonnes in FY'13.
She said reckless catching of Hilsa before the Pahela Baishakh festival might severely harm the habitat of the silver fish.
tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com
