The Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) has begun selling hilsa at a reduced price. After fisheries adviser Farida Akhter launched the sale at midday on Sunday, hilsa went on sale at BFDC at Tk 600 a kg from 2pm.

Crowds of ordinary people gathered to buy. Some bought one kg, others more. But after all the fanfare of the launch, only 100 kg of fish was sold.

Nazmul, a seller at the BFDC outlet, told Jagonews24: "We sold out by 2.40pm. We sold 100 kg today and won't sell any more today. But sales will continue subject to stock, and buyers can come back tomorrow."

Arman Hossain, who came to buy fish, told Jagonews24: "I came to Karwan Bazar and saw the crowd here. Then I saw hilsa being sold. I haven't bought hilsa for a year. Today I bought some because it was cheap."

Another man, Abid Rahman, said: "Eating hilsa is a rarity for us. I heard from a relative that fish was being sold cheaply here."

At the outlet at BFDC head office, hilsa from 450 grams to 900 grams was available, sold at an average of Tk 600 a kg.

The reduced-price sale was launched jointly by the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation and the Marine Fisheries Association to remove obstacles in hilsa supply and the value chain. A notice the day before had said the programme would be launched today and that 850 kg of hilsa was available for sale, on a first-come, first-served basis.

At the launch, Farida Akhter, adviser to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, said hilsa is not just the national fish; taste, cooking and a way of life are bound up with it. The people of Bangladesh have a right to eat it at a price within their reach. "We have taken an initiative. We may not be able to satisfy everyone. We will not stop at this; we will try to find out how to reach more people."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.