350,000 kg of Indian hilsa imported through Benapole in two months
Collected Photo
A total of 352,786 kg of Indian hilsa was imported through the Benapole land port in July and August. The fish were imported by 22 importers. The declared value of the imported hilsa was Tk 69,294,510.
According to the Benapole Fisheries Quarantine Office, 29,440 kg of hilsa was imported through three importers in July. The import value of the hilsa was Tk 3,548,796.
In August, another 323,346 kg of hilsa was imported through 19 importers. The value of the hilsa imported that month was Tk 65,745,714.
The importing companies include Benapole based M/S Satata Fish, M/S Rabbi Enterprise, M/S Satata Fish Feed and M/S Famous Traders along with several other companies.
Ashwadul Alam, an inspector at the Fisheries Quarantine Office of Benapole Land Port, said 352,786 kg of hilsa was imported through the Benapole land port in the first two months of the current fiscal year.
Importer Ziaur Rahman said the hilsa imported from India is being sold in different parts of the country including Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet. He claimed that buyers are often being deceived.
“It is difficult to identify which fish is Bangladeshi and which is Indian hilsa. These hilsa do not taste very good. People in this region do not buy these fish and they are not sold much here.”
Currently, 500-gram Bangladeshi hilsa is being sold at Tk 1,500 per kg in Benapole market while larger hilsa is being sold for Tk 3,500 to Tk 4,000. On the other hand, 2 kg Indian hilsa is being sold at Tk 1,800 per kg.
The imported hilsa is being sent to different parts of the country including Dhaka and Chattogram. Importer Ziaur Rahman alleged that in some places Indian hilsa is being sold to buyers as Bangladeshi hilsa.
