The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection again raided the Boro Station fish landing in Chandpur. On Wednesday afternoon (25 September), Noor Hossain of the directorate's Chandpur district office led a drive at all the depots at the landing following complaints that hilsa was being sold at high prices.

One trader was fined Tk 3,000 and warned for charging too much for hilsa at the landing.

On news of the raid, hilsa prices across the landing fell by Tk 150-200. Hilsa that had sold for Tk 1,700-1,800 shortly before came down to Tk 1,500-1,600 after the raid. But as soon as the directorate's drive ended, traders went back to asking the earlier prices, angering ordinary buyers.

Noor Hossain said the drive was held mainly because of the rise in hilsa prices. "We also went to the traders posing as buyers. One trader who wanted to make an excessive profit over his purchase price was fined Tk 3,000," he said.

He added that depot owners, wholesalers and retailers had all been told to keep vouchers and sell hilsa at fair prices. Anyone who unfairly sells hilsa at excessive prices will be brought to book, he said.

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