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Published : 08 Sep 2025, 08:02 PM
The government has permitted the export of 1,200 tonnes of Hilsa fish to India on the occasion of Durga Puja, setting a minimum export price of $12.50 per kilogram under specific conditions.
In a statement on Monday, the commerce ministry said: “As in previous years, the government has taken a policy decision to allow the conditional export of Hilsa to India.”
According to the updated foreign exchange rate published by Bangladesh Bank on Monday, $1 was equivalent to Tk 121.70. Based on this rate, the minimum Hilsa export price has been fixed at Tk 1,521.25 per kilogramme.
The ministry asked interested exporters to apply by 5pm on Sept 11 through the prescribed process.
Applications must include updated trade licences, Export Registration Certificates (ERC), income tax and VAT certificates, sales agreements, fisheries department licences, and other relevant documents.
Hilsa, one of the favourite delicacies of Bengalis in Kolkata, is particularly popular during Durga Puja.
In 2024, the Bangladesh government had allowed the export of 3,000 tonnes of Hilsa to India two weeks before the festival.
At that time, Supreme Court lawyer Md Mahmudul Hasan had issued a legal notice to the government and several ministries, opposing the decision.
The notice stated that according to Bangladesh’s export policy from 2021–24, Hilsa was not categorised as freely exportable. It alleged that by permitting Hilsa exports to India, the commerce ministry had acted against the interests of the Bangladeshi people.
The notice also argued that Hilsa is found in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and several other countries, and that India has a vast sea territory where Hilsa is produced in large quantities.
Therefore, it claimed there was no necessity for India to import Hilsa from Bangladesh.
India, however, predominantly imports Hilsa from the Padma River.
According to the notice, Indian agents in Bangladesh and fish exporters stockpile Hilsa from the Padma throughout the year and later export it to India with the government’s approval. In some cases, the fish is allegedly smuggled across the border.
Amid widespread criticism on social media, the government eventually revised its decision and allowed the export of 2,420 tonnes of Hilsa instead last year.
Experience shows that following such announcements, Hilsa prices in the domestic market tend to rise compared with earlier levels.
The price of Hilsa is mainly determined by the size and weight of each fish.
According to data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), an agency under the commerce ministry, Hilsa was selling in Dhaka markets on Monday at prices ranging from Tk 900 to Tk 2,200 per kilogram.
