The government decision to ban hilsha fish export for the next six months is yet to make any impact on its wholesale and retail prices during the last 48 hours in Dhaka markets.

Big-size hilsha was selling at Tk 300 per kg at Karwan Bazar yesterday.

The ban on hilsha export has failed to contain the price in Khulna and Bagerhat markets also, reports our staff correspondent from Khulna.

In Bagerhat, a section of sellers are allegedly cheating the customers in weight by inserting small iron pieces into hilsha fish, he added.

However, hilsha price fell by 15-20 percent in Barisal.

Following the government decision taken on Wednesday, customs officials in Benapole land port on Thursday sent back the trucks loaded with hilsha from Barisal that were scheduled for export to India.

Supply from different hilsha mokams (procurement centres) to Barisal exporters decreased while the exporters are now preserving their stocked fish in cold storages of Khulna and Jessore, reports our Barisal correspondent.

Zahir Sikdar, a wholesaler in Barisal, said he purchased standard-sized hilsha at Tk 3.10 lakh per tonne on Thursday, which was Tk 4.3 lakh per tonne on Wednesday.

The price came down 20 to 25 per cent after imposition of the ban on hilsha export and this tendency will continue for a few more days, he said.

But it may increase again if supply to Barisal region decreases due to the ban on legal export and smuggling increases at the catching points in the Bay, he added.

Fish exporters said if they cannot supply against the letters of credit that have been already opened by the importers, both the sides will sustain heavy losses and litigation may also arise.

The stopping of the legal way of export may lead to increased smuggling of hilsha from the points of catching in the Bay, they said, adding that the matter will also affect national economy, trade balance as well as foreign relationship.

Hailing the government decision, local civil society leaders said export of hilsha or any other item should be done after meeting the demands of the local markets to control the price.

The decision to postpone hilsha export was taken following a report by a fisheries and livestock ministry investigation team who visited Barisal, Bhola and Cox's Bazar, and talked to stakeholders to find out the cause of excessive dearness of hilsha fish in the peak season.

The team was formed against the backdrop of the high price of hilsha fish in the local market during the peak season and reported export of the item at lower prices to

India.

The government will monitor all the matters related to hilsha fish including its breeding, catching, demand in local market, marketing process, amount of export and checking black marketing and smuggling, team sources said.

Md Yusuf Sikder, secretary of the Barisal Fish Exporters Association, attributed the recent increase in price of standard-sized hilsha to the rise of catching cost as prices of fuel and spare parts of the fishing trawlers and daily expenses of the fishermen increased and the catch of standard-sized hilsha decreased.

Before the ban on export, except on Saturday and Sunday, some 40 tonne hilsha were exported to India daily through Benapole land port. Twenty importing firms of West Bengal purchased hilsha worth at least 250 crore taka from Bangladesh last year, he added.

The amount of hilsha export from Bangladesh was 3,414 tonne in fiscal year 2006-07 and 4,495 tonne in 2005-06.