As Hilsa is being sold to Kolkata, Supreme Court counsel has issued a court notice to the government to halt the shipment of Hilsa to Bangladesh. On Sunday, Mahmudul Hasan delivered this notification to four government secretaries and the presidents of three organisations. Notices have been sent to the Commerce Secretary, the Fisheries and Livestock Secretary, the Ministry of External Affairs Secretary, the Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary, the Chairman of the National Board of Revenue, the Chief Controller of the Import and Export Department, and the Chairman of the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation to halt the export of Hilsa. The notice’s author, Mahmudul Hasan, stated that while Hilsa is our national fish, the poor people of the country are unable to purchase it due to the high price.
The middle class is also having difficulty purchasing Hilsa fish. However, the commerce ministry has permitted the shipment of Hilsa to India without regard for the requirements of the Indian people. As a result, the price of Hilsa has risen in the country’s local marketplaces. In addition, Mahmudul Hasan stated that if the shipment of Hilsa to India is not permanently halted within seven days, a writ will be filed in the High Court for action. On the occasion of the forthcoming Durga Puja, the Ministry of Commerce approved 49 enterprises to export Hilsa to India on September 4. Subject to certain requirements, any company is permitted to export 50 tonnes of Hilsa.
On the evening of September 5, the first cargo of 8 MT Hilsa arrived in India via the port of Benapole in two trucks.
Then, on Tuesday (September 7), seven tonnes were shipped from Hilsa Barisal to India in two trucks. And two thousand kilos of Hilsa were shipped to India’s Unkot district on Friday (September 9) via the Chatlapur Ground Customs Station of Kulaura Upja of Maulvibazar.
