Staff Reporter :
A legal notice has been sent to the concerned bodies of the government demanding necessary steps to stop the export of Hilsa fish to India permanently within seven days from the date of receiving the notice.
Md Mahmudul Islam, a Supreme Court lawyer, sent the notice on Sunday with warning to the government bodies that he will be bound to file a writ petition if the respondents don’t take appropriate measures in this regard.
The notice has been sent to the Commerce Secretary, Fisheries and Livestock Secretary, Foreign Affairs Secretary, Civil Aviation Secretary, Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Chief Controller of Imports and Exports and Chairman of the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation.
The lawyer said in his notice, “Hilsa is the national fish of Bangladesh. But due to the excessive price of Hilsa fish, the poor people cannot imagine buying Hilsa fish and even the middle-class people cannot afford to buy Hilsa fish. The average price of Hilsa fish is Tk 1000 to Tk 1200 per kg in the local market. On the other hand, Hilsa which is captured from Padma River is about Tk 1200 to Tk 1500 or more per kg.”
“Unfortunately, Commerce Secretary has allowed the export of Hilsa fish to Inida on September 4 in 2022 defying the demand of the common people of Bangladesh. Due to the export of Hilsa fish to India, the price of the Hilsa fish is increasing in the local market day by day. On the other hand, the export price of Hilsa fish to India is below the local market price in Bangladesh.”
“The government is exporting the Hilsa fish to India denying the rights of the people of Bangladesh. Even in the export policy of 2021-2024, the Hilsa fish is not a freely exportable product.
The government of Bangladesh is doing injustice and violating the fundamental rights to equal protection of the law by exporting the Hilsa fish in India denying the demand of the people of Bangladesh and at a price below the market rate in Bangladesh,” the notice also read.
