Bangladesh reverses hilsa export ban to India, approves 3,000 tonnes of shipment for Durga Puja

The Bangladesh government has approved export of 3,000 tonnes of hilsa fish to India to meet the demand during the upcoming Durga Puja festival. Bangladesh’s Ministry of Commerce has approved the export of 3,000 tonnes on the occasion of the upcoming Durga Puja. 

“Against the backdrop of appeals by the exporters, approval has been given to export 3000 tonnes of hilsa fish (to India), fulfilling the specific conditions on the occasion of the upcoming Durga Puja,” the commerce ministry's statement read. 

“To obtain permission, applicants should approach the relevant wing of the ministry,” it added.  

The neighbouring country had banned the export of hilsa to India earlier this month, following the change of guard after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. 

It is to be noted that the caretaker government under Muhammad Younus imposed the ban export of hilsa to India and had cited sufficient supply for local consumers as the reason behind the move. 

Bangladesh produces nearly 70 percent of the world’s hilsa and it is also the country’s national fish. In 2023, the country allowed 79 companies to export total 4,000 tonnes of hilsa to India. 

In 2012, Bangladesh imposed an export ban on the fish due to disagreements over the Teesta River water-sharing agreement. However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina later enabled exports as the ban caused a steep rise in prices in Indian markets and fuelled an increase in smuggling across the porous India-Bangladesh border. The ban was lifted in 2022.