37.5 tonnes of hilsa sent to India in first consignment
Published: 17 September 2025, 2:10:59
A total of 37.46 metric tonnes of hilsa has been sent to India in the first consignment ahead of the upcoming Sharadiya Durga Puja festival.
The shipment was sent through Benapole land port in Jashore around midnight on Tuesday, using seven trucks to reach Petrapole port in West Bengal.
The information was confirmed by Md. Shamim Hossain, director of Benapole port.
According to a reliable source at the port, five importers from Kolkata—National Trading, FNS Fish, Joy Shantosi, Ma International, and RJ International—have received the consignment. On the Bangladeshi side, five companies—Sotota Fish, Swarnali Enterprise, Tanisha Enterprise, Bishwas Enterprise, and Lucky Trading—handled the export.
This year, the Government of Bangladesh has allowed the export of a total of 1,200 metric tonnes of hilsa to India on the occasion of Durga Puja. According to the Ministry of Commerce’s approval, 37 companies have been permitted to export. Of them, one company received permission to export 50 tonnes, 25 companies received approval for 30 tonnes each (totaling 750 tonnes), nine companies got 40 tonnes each (totaling 360 tonnes), and two companies were permitted to export 20 tonnes each (totaling 40 tonnes).
Sajib Saha, fisheries quarantine officer at Benapole, said the Ministry of Commerce has fixed the export price of hilsa at USD 12.5 per kilogram. The export process must be completed by 5 October.
Every year, the Bangladesh government allows the export of hilsa to India as a goodwill gesture ahead of Durga Puja, the largest religious festival in India. As in previous years, the tradition continues this year as well.
