The Bangladesh government bought 20 tonnes of fish in April to send to the government of Kuwait as a gift — 10 tonnes of golda (giant freshwater) prawn, 5 tonnes of bagda (tiger) shrimp and 5 tonnes of rupchanda (pomfret). Because of flight arrangements the consignment never went, and the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has now called a third auction to sell what is left.

According to TCB sources, Bangladesh decided early this year to give Kuwait rice, fish and some other goods. Kuwait said it would carry the gift on its own regular flights. In April it took the rice but not the fish; the sources say Kuwait was unwilling to carry a perishable product on commercial flights.

After waiting five months, TCB invited the first auction tenders on 18 August, when a Khulna company bought the 5 tonnes of bagda shrimp. A second auction for the remaining 15 tonnes closed on 15 September without a response. On 23 September TCB called the third, open until 30 September.

Bidders can inspect the fish on 28 and 29 September from 11am to 3pm at the GTS Sea-Food Industries processing plant at Bhandarkot, Batiaghata, Khulna. Bids go to TCB's head office in Dhaka or its regional offices in Khulna and Chattogram, for a minimum of 500 kg, with separate offers and deposits for golda prawn and pomfret.

Each bid needs a refundable pay-order deposit of at least Tk 15,000 in TCB's favour, rising pro rata for larger lots. The highest bidder wins and pays 15 percent VAT and, where applicable, 5 percent income tax on the quoted price, must pay in full within three working days and collect the fish at their own cost within three days after that. Late collection carries a daily storage charge, and a winner who fails to pay and collect loses the deposit.

TCB chairman Brigadier General Mohammad Faisal Azad said many had taken part in the auctions, but the prices offered were not what TCB expected, so the fish had not been sold. He added that there is no fixed rule on how many times an auction can be called.

Reported by Krishi Sangbad's staff correspondent.

Photo: Jarek Tuszyński / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Source: Krishi Sangbad