The government has given approval to 37 Bangladeshi companies to export a total of 1,200 tonnes of hilsa to India ahead of Durga Puja,聽the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community.
According to an order issued by the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday, the export period would remain effective from September 16 to October 5.
鈥楾he minimum export price of the per kilogram hilsa fish would be $12.5,鈥� the order said.
The order,聽signed by deputy secretary SHM Magfurul Hasan Abbasi, also set some conditions for the export, requiring firms to comply with the Export Policy 2024鈥�27 regulations, while customs authorities would inspect all shipments to ensure quality and adherence to approved quotas.
鈥楨xporters are required to submit proof of previously exported quantities when applying for future permissions and are not allowed to exceed the authorised amounts,鈥� the order said.
The ministry also directed that customs would verify each consignment through the ASYCUDA World System to ensure no export beyond the approved quota.
The permission is non-transferable, meaning exporters could not subcontract the consignment to others, the order stated.
鈥楾he government also reserves the right to cancel the export approval at any time, if necessary,鈥� the order added.
Earlier, on September 8, the government decided to allow the export of 1,200 tonnes of hilsa to India on the eve of Durga Puja through a notification issued by the Ministry of Commerce.
The notification also fixed the minimum price of hilsa at $ 12.50 per kilogram, equivalent to Tk 1,521 per kilogram.
The quantity of exporting hilsa is almost half of what was permitted in the past year, when the government allowed the export of 2,420 tonnes of hilsa to India.
Meanwhile, the prices of hilsa have continued to rise in the country for the past few years,聽and the majority of the people have remained deprived of the taste of the fish.
The price of hilsa this year witnessed a sharp hike, even though the peak fishing season is going on.
Hilsa weighing more than 1 kilogram was sold for Tk 2,500, to Tk 3,000 and the item weighing below 1 kilogram was being sold at a range of Tk 1,300 to Tk 2,100 based on size in the city markets.