UNB, Dhaka :
Despite a strong campaign over the last few years against keeping hilsa on Pahela Baishakh’s morning menu as an ‘artificial’ culture, the demand for the delicious fish among city dwellers looks still very high this year too, pushing up its prices disproportionately ahead of the Bangla New Year.
Fish traders at different city kitchen markets on Thursday and Friday said they have started witnessing a huge rush of hilsa buyers, even over a week before the Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla calendar year, leading to its soaring prices.
Customers said they are buying hilsa early for celebrating the Pahela Baishakh fearing its further price hike before the mega festival.
Taking to UNB, prominent academic and writer Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury and noted cultural personality Ramendu Majumdar said taking hilsa with soaked rice on Pahela Baishakh morning is a culture created by some urban people which has actually no relation with the nation’s long tradition and heritage.
They said, an extensive campaign by the media and the government should be carried out to discourage people not to follow an artificial ‘panta-ilish culture to save the national fish during its spawning season and break the syndicate which is making huge money by raising its prices on the occasion.
Some customers also admitted that they know eating hilas on Pahela Baishakh is not the traditional and original culture of Banglaees, but a whimsical trend.
“I’m buying hilsa as my daughter told me that her some friends will visit our home on Pahela Baishakh morning to take panta-ilish. I tried to convince her to arrange some other foods to entertain them, but she is adamant…,” Tasmin Sultana, a housewife told UNB at Malibagh Bazar.
Fish traders at Karwanbazar, Shantinagar, Malibagh, Segunbagicha and Rampura kitchen markets said the prices of medium and big size hilsa have marked a rise by around Tk 250-400 per kg in a week due to its growing demand ahead of Pahela Baishakh.
The more Pahela Baishakh will get closer the more hilsa will be overpriced, they said.
Big size hilsas are being sold at 1,600-1,800 per kg and traders are displaying those in a limited number showing its scarcity as rich people mostly prefer those.
Despite a strong campaign over the last few years against keeping hilsa on Pahela Baishakh’s morning menu as an ‘artificial’ culture, the demand for the delicious fish among city dwellers looks still very high this year too, pushing up its prices disproportionately ahead of the Bangla New Year.
Fish traders at different city kitchen markets on Thursday and Friday said they have started witnessing a huge rush of hilsa buyers, even over a week before the Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla calendar year, leading to its soaring prices.
Customers said they are buying hilsa early for celebrating the Pahela Baishakh fearing its further price hike before the mega festival.
Taking to UNB, prominent academic and writer Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury and noted cultural personality Ramendu Majumdar said taking hilsa with soaked rice on Pahela Baishakh morning is a culture created by some urban people which has actually no relation with the nation’s long tradition and heritage.
They said, an extensive campaign by the media and the government should be carried out to discourage people not to follow an artificial ‘panta-ilish culture to save the national fish during its spawning season and break the syndicate which is making huge money by raising its prices on the occasion.
Some customers also admitted that they know eating hilas on Pahela Baishakh is not the traditional and original culture of Banglaees, but a whimsical trend.
“I’m buying hilsa as my daughter told me that her some friends will visit our home on Pahela Baishakh morning to take panta-ilish. I tried to convince her to arrange some other foods to entertain them, but she is adamant…,” Tasmin Sultana, a housewife told UNB at Malibagh Bazar.
Fish traders at Karwanbazar, Shantinagar, Malibagh, Segunbagicha and Rampura kitchen markets said the prices of medium and big size hilsa have marked a rise by around Tk 250-400 per kg in a week due to its growing demand ahead of Pahela Baishakh.
The more Pahela Baishakh will get closer the more hilsa will be overpriced, they said.
Big size hilsas are being sold at 1,600-1,800 per kg and traders are displaying those in a limited number showing its scarcity as rich people mostly prefer those.
