A legal notice has been sent to the government demanding a halt to hilsa exports to India, citing high domestic prices, consumers' interests and allegations that Bangladeshi hilsa is re-exported. Supreme Court lawyer Md Mahmudul Hasan Mamun sent it in the public interest on Tuesday afternoon.

It was addressed to the cabinet secretary, the secretaries of the commerce ministry and the fisheries and livestock ministry, the director general of the Department of Fisheries and the chairman of the National Board of Revenue.

The notice says hilsa, the national fish, is a geographical indication (GI) product of Bangladesh, yet a one-kilogram fish now costs about Tk 2,600 to Tk 3,000 in local markets, putting it out of reach of ordinary and lower-middle-class people. It alleges that hilsa was exported to India in the past at comparatively low prices even while supplies at home were short and prices high.

It further alleges that some Indian importers buy Bangladeshi hilsa cheaply and re-export it at higher prices to the United States, Canada, Australia, the Middle East and Europe. If foreign exchange is needed, it proposes a transparent policy for exporting directly to those markets at real international prices, bypassing Indian middlemen.

The notice asks the authorities to refrain within seven days from any administrative move, executive approval or policy decision on hilsa exports to India, to raise supply so prices come within people's reach, and to adopt a permanent policy for direct exports to international markets.

The report is by Protidiner Sangbad.

Photo: Protidiner Sangbad

Source: Protidiner Sangbad