Razia Sultana was buying farmed fish for Tk 100 from Dhaka’s Mirpur-6 market. He does not even look back at the fish shops with small and big hilsa next to him.
Did you buy hilsa in the full season? In response to this question, Razia Sultana said that not only this year, but after coming to Dhaka, she could never buy hilsa fish.
He said, ‘Brother, we cannot afford to buy hilsa fish and eat rice for three days by doing small jobs. The house rent and all other expenses are not covered by the income of two fodder. If you buy hilsa fish with the income, you will not eat rice, if you eat rice, you will not eat hilsa fish.’
Razia Sultana came to Dhaka in 2014. Her three children, husband is ill. Run a tea shop. Dhaka’s Razia Sultana is an example of how hard hilsa fish has become for common people in Bangladesh.
In addition to low income, middle class people are also struggling to buy hilsa fish. A hilsa seller who has been selling fish in the market for 20 years said that it is difficult for ordinary people to buy and eat a big hilsa at the current price.
According to the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), a non-governmental organization working on consumer rights, the average price of 500-1000 grams of hilsa during the peak season in 2014 was Tk 505.
In the current market it is more or less 1 thousand 400 taka. One kg of hilsa is being sold at the rate of Tk 2,000 in supermarkets. In the retail market, the price of hilsa is from 1,600 taka to 2,000 taka per kg of sea and river fish.
All buyers and sellers are angry about the price of hilsa in this full season.
Why the price of hilsa is high
The government, hilsa hunters and traders are mainly blaming the availability of hilsa for the high price of hilsa this year. Referring to the shortage of hilsa in the rivers, the sellers say that the price has increased after the announcement of export to India.
On Monday in Chandpur, I went to the hilsa boat in the river and found that hilsa was caught less in the net. Fishermen say that they have forgotten the experience of catching hilsa in flocks during the season. In this season, Momin Sohel was able to catch the maximum 15 kg of hilsa in one day.
Chandpur threw a net on Monday and caught some small hilsa and one hilsa weighing just over 1 kg. When asked, Sohail said that Hilsa will be sold at the price of Tk 2,200 to Tk 2,300 per kg.
Momin Sohel says, ‘If the hilsa fish increased, there would be no price. The cost of taking a boat down the river is Rs 3,000 per day. I get fish and I don’t get it.’
Muhammad Dulal fished in the sea with a trawler for 20 years. He also brought forward the aspect of shortage of fish in the sea this year.
He said, ‘If the price of hilsa does not increase, we will have to pay the price of oil. I was in the sea for 12 days. Three lakh rupees spent. The fish I got is 40,000 taka. Last year, 80 lakh rupees worth of fish was harvested during the season. This time 35 lakh rupees. The cost is 40 lakhs. The ban is coming, I can go to the sea once more.’
A seller of Chandpur Arat said that last week, one kilogram of hilsa was sold for 1,600 to 1,700 taka, which increased from 1,800 to 1,900 taka this week. On Thursday, wholesalers said that one kilogram of hilsa was sold up to Tk 76,000 per head in Chandpur. Sellers claim that the price of hilsa is high due to low supply of fish and demand.
In the past, there were complaints of police harassment on hilsa boats, now it is known that they have decreased. Those who supported the rulers and syndicated the occupation of the ghats except most of the areas.
When asked why the price of fish is high this time, the traders of Chandpur fish market blame the shortage of fish the most.
Anwar Hossain Gazi, a long-time fish trader in Chandpur, said, ‘This amount of price has never happened, it has happened this time.’
Anwar Hussain Ghazi is also associated with fish exports to India. When asked whether the decision to export had an impact on the shortage of fish, he said, ‘You see big fish, but there is no fish. Big fish are rare. If there is no fish, it will increase.’
Among these shortages, it is also alleged that large fishes have been selected and stocked in the announcement of fish exports. And the system of determining the price of fish has continued as in the past, where there has been no change.
Another businessman named Shahjahan Gazi said that both the demand for big fish and the price have increased due to the decision to export.
He said, ‘Barguna, Patharghata, Barisal, Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, where fish imports are high, fishermen bring the fish, there are LC people. Take the fish to that place.’
Although the production of hilsa in Bangladesh has consistently increased every year, it is feared that the production may decrease this time. Because 81 thousand 876 tons of hilsa were extracted in Bangladesh in July and August last year. But this year in July and August caught very less. This time the amount caught is 56 thousand 273 tons.
Impact on Export Decision
Bangladesh’s hilsa exports to India have started amid a shortage in the full season and the country’s market selling at the highest price per kg in the last decade. The Ministry of Commerce has given permission to 49 companies to export a total of 2,420 tons of hilsa to 50 tons.
However, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar took a stand against the export of hilsa to India after assuming office.
Many welcomed Farida Akhtar’s statement that the common people of the country would eat hilsa, then consider exporting it. But finally the Ministry of Commerce decided to export 3000 tons of hilsa. After the decision to export hilsa to India, the demand and prices of hilsa have been affected.
The government claims that the amount of hilsa going to India is small compared to the total production of Bangladesh. But fish is being exported at a time when Hilsa is less available in the river. Besides, the hilsa exported to India is a large size and river fish, so both the demand and the price of this fish have increased.
Regarding the price of hilsa, the fish and livestock advisor said, ‘The ministry will look into all the reasons why the price is increasing and we will take the cooperation of all other ministries. We have to keep this commitment that the people of the country should be fed Hilsa. It is their right. We will work to protect that.’
Adviser Farida Akhtar said, ‘The extraction is low availability is low and people are not able to eat. It will be very sad from our side if we cannot control it. But there is absolutely maximum effort from our side. Before the announcement of export, the price of one kilogram of fish was 1 thousand 500 taka, now it is heard from 1 thousand 600 to 1 thousand 700 taka. This should not happen at all.’
Highlighting the decline in availability, Farida Akhtar said that the matter of export is the decision of the Ministry of Commerce.
He said, ‘It would have been if we had not exported this time because the extraction is less this time. It’s happening for whatever reason. The issue of export is not our ministry’s. Export will be done by the Ministry of Commerce. Our word is to feed the people of the country, I still stand by this word.
Hilsa diplomacy?
Many people question whether diplomacy has a role behind the decision to export hilsa. Hilsa has been exported from Bangladesh during the previous Awami League government on the occasion of regular puja.
Former Ambassador M. Humayun Kabir said, Bangladesh’s hilsa is in great demand in India’s West Bengal. Hilsa went from Bangladesh to India long ago. He said that the first hilsa was exported from Bangladesh in 1992.Humayun Kabir said, ‘At that time Pranab Mukherjee was the Planning Minister as far as I remember. Then he gave a permit of 5000 tons which can be imported from Bangladesh. It is very much in demand in Kolkata. When I worked in Kolkata in 1992, I received Hilsa for the first time. From that side, the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh was Kolkata and from this side the Indian High Commissioner was Miz Tripathi, so we both exchanged in Benapole back in nineteen ninety two.
Many are looking for a different meaning of the hilsa export decision in the context of the position of the fisheries advisor against the export of hilsa to India and the leading student leaders of the popular uprising in Bangladesh also taking a hard view on India. In the changed political situation, Bangladesh’s decision to export hilsa to India is also believed to carry a diplomatic significance.
In this regard, former ambassador and diplomatic analyst M. Humayun Kabir said, ‘There is a reason. From our side we show them a greeting hoping that they will return this greeting or reciprocate in that way. It’s a diplomatic very subtle diplomatic one you can tell if they want to take that as a hint. But India’s recent talks or the kind of statements coming from their leaders do not look very good.’
However, regarding the diplomacy of hilsa export, fisheries advisor Farida Akhtar said, ‘There were some incidents during the previous government’s tenure that if they want to get Teesta water, they can be satisfied with some hilsa or not. Actually the fish eats fish but West Bengal. But the whole of India does not eat. It shouldn’t be such a big issue diplomatically.’