Kolkata Fish Traders Face Losses Amid Bangladesh Protests

Kolkata- The country's fish market has been severely disrupted by violent protests in Bangladesh. This has resulted in a significant decline in the supply of fish from Bangladesh to India, which has in turn led to substantial losses to fish traders in Kolkata.

According to information, the sale of popular fish varieties, including Hilsa, has come to a standstill. The Hilsa is highly sought-after by Bengalis and is distributed widely across India.

The Secretary of the Fish Importer's Association, Syed Anwar Maqsood, said, "We are in the business of exporting and importing fish from Bangladesh. For the last one month, ever since protests have started there, the market has been affected. In these conditions in Bangaldesh, our export and import of fish have taken a hit."

He further said, "Secondly, on the occasion of Durga Puja, Bangladesh used to give us special permission for Hilsa fish for one month every year, the action of which is being implemented from August. Our organizations used to start the process by writing to the Government of Bangladesh, the Government of India and in the month of September-October. We used to get permission for this Hilsa fish which was banned by the government till 2012. Every year during Durga Puja, we used to get permission for a month from the Bangladesh Government but now it seems that due to the situation in Bangladesh, I do not think that Hilsa fish will be available."

It is hoped that the situation will improve in the coming weeks. The association remains hopeful that conditions will improve in the coming weeks. Discussions are ongoing with counterparts in Bangladesh, though challenges remain, particularly concerning payment issues.

"We expect the situation to normalize within the next few weeks. We are in continuous dialogue with our counterparts in Bangladesh, but the situation remains unstable. Our payments are delayed, and the overall business outlook is uncertain," Maqsood added.