On the paperwork at Benapole land port in Jashore, the fish is Indian hilsa. Once it crosses the port and reaches Jashore's markets, part of it is sold as 'Myanmar hilsa'. The gap between the official record and the market's label for the same fish has raised questions.

According to the Benapole land port fisheries quarantine office, 352,786 kg of hilsa came in from India through Benapole in the first two months of the 2026-27 financial year, imported by 22 firms. Three firms brought 29,440 kg in July; 19 firms brought 323,346 kg in August — 91.66 percent of the two-month total. August's imports were 293,906 kg, or roughly 10.98 times, higher than July's.

Fisheries quarantine inspector Ashwadul Alam confirmed the volumes and the number of importers. The declared value of the two months' imports was $69,294,510, with the declared average price about $120 a kilo in July and about $203 in August — roughly $196 a kilo across the two months.

Some local traders claim that part of the large, cheap hilsa is from Myanmar and is entering Bangladesh via India. Mohammad Piaru, owner of M/s Sheikh Piaru Fish, said the fish are coming from Myanmar through India. Benapole quarantine officials say hilsa imported through Benapole is Indian, and that fish from Myanmar enters through Chattogram port. Separately, on 22 July about 360 kg of hilsa in 12 cartons was brought in declared as white fish; Benapole customs seized it. That amount is only 0.10 percent of the two months' legal imports.

In Jashore's markets, local hilsa of 1.2 to 1.3 kg sells for Tk 3,300 to 3,400 a kilo, while foreign hilsa of 1.3 to 1.4 kg goes for about Tk 1,400 — a gap of roughly Tk 1,900 to 2,000 a kilo. The fish moves through the markets of Benapole, Sharsha, Bagachra and Navaron to Jashore's Boro Bazar, where it is landed at wholesalers including Padma Fish, Gourab Fish, M/s Titas Fish and M/s Zaman Fish. Local hilsa traders Satyapada, Ershad and Alamgir said sales of Bangladeshi hilsa have fallen because of the imports.

Ohiduzzaman, a resident of Kagojpukur in Benapole, said he bought fish believing it to be local and only noticed the difference in taste and smell when he ate it; the two look so alike that an ordinary buyer cannot tell them apart. Jashore District Fisheries Officer Monirul Mamun said selling imported fish as local does not fall under the fisheries law. Selimuzzaman, assistant director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection in Jashore, said imported hilsa must be sold as declared and fish brought from India must be clearly identified as Indian hilsa; the matter will be looked into with market inspections and, if needed, drives.

Foreign hilsa arriving in peak season at less than half the local price squeezes fishermen's and wholesalers' earnings, and selling it with its origin hidden breaks buyers' trust — from both sides, labelling has become urgent.

Source: banglanews24