Legal notice seeks halt to hilsa exports to India

A lawyer has issued a legal notice calling for a halt to the commerce ministry’s approval to export 3,000 tonnes of hilsa fish to India for Durga Puja.

Supreme Court Advocate Md Mahmudul Hasan sent the notice on Sunday (September 22).

The commerce secretary, fisheries and water resources secretary, the chairman of the National Board of Revenue, and the chief controller of the Office of Imports and Exports have been made the respondents in the notice, according to media reports.

On Saturday, two weeks before the start of the major Hindu festival of Durga Puja, the commerce ministry approved the export of 3,000 tonnes of hilsa to India.

According to Mahmudul's notice, Indian agents and fish exporters in Bangladesh stock hilsa from the Padma River throughout the year and export the fish to India with the permission of the Bangladesh government, and in some cases 'illegally smuggle' across the border.

The notice said due to export and ‘smuggling’ to India, the people of Bangladesh cannot get Padma River hilsa in the market and have to buy sea hilsa, which is not as tasty.

According to Bangladesh’s export policy from 2021-24, hilsa is not freely exportable. In this situation, the co9mmerce ministry has acted against the interest of the people of Bangladesh by allowing the export of hilsa fish to India, the notice claimed.

The notice requested authorities to take necessary measures to stop the export of hilsa to India within three days of receiving the notice and threatens to file a writ case in the High Court to take action in this regard.