Shared language, culture and food habits have forged a long-standing emotional bond between the two Bengals, with the hilsa of the Padma River standing as one of its enduring symbols. Ahead of the upcoming Durga Puja, Indian traders have once again requested a supply of Padma hilsa.
A prolonged ban on hilsa exports has left millions of hilsa lovers in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura unable to satisfy their demand. Against this backdrop, India’s Fish Importers Association has written to the Bangladesh government seeking permission to send Bangladeshi hilsa to the Puja market.
According to sources at the Ministry of Commerce, the Indian trade body has, as in previous years, sent separate letters to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce.
Beyond writing letters, leaders of India’s Fish Importers Association also visited Bangladesh over the matter. They met with Bangladesh’s commerce secretary and held discussions with Bangladesh’s deputy high commissioner in Kolkata, Md. Khaled.
Indian traders say Bangladeshi hilsa is in huge demand during Durga Puja as part of the emotional and cultural heritage shared by the two Bengals. They are seeking the opportunity to export at least a limited quantity of Padma hilsa ahead of the festival.
Commerce ministry sources said the matter of exporting hilsa for the Puja season is being viewed positively, though the exact quantity has not yet been decided. Commerce Secretary Ataur Rahman Khan said the government had received the letter from Indian traders and that the quantity to be exported would be determined in consultation with the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.
The Indian traders’ letter said that from 1996 onward, Bangladesh exported an average of about 5,000 tonnes of hilsa to India each year. However, exports stopped for unspecified reasons after 2012. Since September 2019, the Bangladesh government has granted special permission to export hilsa only during a specific one-month window around Durga Puja. Local traders, however, say this short and limited window has ultimately yielded little practical benefit.
On behalf of the general public and traders in West Bengal and neighboring Indian states, the letter requested a complete withdrawal of the export ban. They said permanently opening up hilsa exports would strengthen ties between the two countries, and that the people of India, especially hilsa-loving West Bengal, would remember it with gratitude.
The letter also said that while export permission is typically granted in late September each year, this year they have requested it be granted earlier. It also called for the removal of strict time limits on exports so that the maximum possible quantity of hilsa can be shipped.
There have been allegations that in the past, export permits were sometimes granted to people outside the industry, who ultimately failed to send any hilsa to India at all. The letter therefore urged that permits be issued only to genuine, experienced exporters, excluding opportunistic newcomers.
According to figures provided by the Indian traders, Bangladesh approved the export of 500 tonnes of hilsa in September 2019 after a long gap. In 2020, 1,850 tonnes were approved, though the full amount was not exported. In 2021, 4,600 tonnes were approved, but only 1,200 tonnes actually reached India.
In 2022, 2,900 tonnes of hilsa export were approved, but only 1,300 tonnes were actually exported. In 2023, 3,950 tonnes were approved, but only 1,300 tonnes went to India. In 2025, 2,420 tonnes were approved, but only 577 tonnes were actually exported. Most recently, last year, only 150 tonnes of hilsa reached India against an approved quota of 1,200 tonnes.
Syed Anwar Maqsood, general secretary of the West Bengal Fish Importers Association, said they were hopeful of bringing in a larger quantity of hilsa this year, noting that they had already sent letters and met with the commerce secretary.
He added that the export window is limited to one month, during which they are unable to bring in all the fish approved for export. He said it would be better to lift the time limit along with the export restriction altogether.