Fish importers of Bengal have written to Touhid Hossain, an advisor to the Bangladesh government, with an appeal to reconsider the decision to stop export of hilsa to Bengal before Durga Puja.

The letter requests the neighbouring country “to please allow export of Hilsa fish for Durga Puja” with a reminder that the Fish Importers’ Association has been bringing hilsa from Bangladesh since 1996.

The letter, from Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary of the Fish Importers’ Association, says that every year several hundred tonnes of hilsa is imported to Bengal via the Petrapole land customs station.

“...we seek your kind intervention and request you to please allow export of Hilsa fish for Durga Puja. It may be worthy to note that the Hilsa from Bangladesh is in great demand amongst connoisseurs of fish in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura,” the letter to Hossain states.

The letter was sent on Monday with copies to three other senior functionaries in the Bangladesh government — Mohammad Salimuddin, secretary in the ministry of commerce; Salehuddin Ahmad, advisor, ministry of commerce; and foreign secretary Mohammad Jashimuddin.

The letter comes within days of the interim government in Bangladesh deciding to stop export of hilsa to India ostensibly to meet domestic demand, ending a tradition nurtured by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has taken refuge in India after being deposed last month.

Last week, Farida Akhter, an adviser to the ministry of fisheries and livestock in Bangladesh, had said that no hilsa would be exported to India this year.

Akhter reportedly emphasised that the export ban was aimed at controlling domestic prices and ensuring hilsa remained accessible to lower-income households in Bangladesh.

“Between September 2019 and 2023, the government of Bangladesh has been allowing the export of Hilsa as a goodwill gesture during Durga Puja. We humbly request the interim government to allow the export even this year,” Maqsood, of the fish importers’ association, said.

“Hilsa lovers are spread over several states, besides Bengal including Assam and Tripura.”

The letter states: “...we are looking forward towards ‘notun Bangladesh’ with strong bilateral ties with India.”

Last year, the first consignment of Padmar ilish arrived in Bengal from Bangladesh through the Petrapole land port on September 21. Nine cargo trucks, each carrying five tonnes of hilsa, had come from Barishal.

The Bangladesh commerce ministry had allowed 79 fish exporters to send 3,950 tonnes of hilsa to India as a special gesture on the occasion of Durga Puja.

Importers said only 1,300 tonnes of hilsa finally reached the state.