Bangladesh crisis: What will happen to the special consignments of hilsa fish to India?

Bangladesh has been in uncharted territory for more than two days following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheik Hasina. On Wednesday, the Bangladesh President's office announced that Nobel-winning microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus will lead an interim government in the country.

CREDIT: AP

As uncertainty continues India, which shares a 4,096-kilometer-long land border with Bangladesh, is the country expected to be affected the most by the turmoil in the neighborhood.

Also read: Who is Muhammad Yunus and why protesters want him to be the interim Prime Minister of Bangladesh?

Future of hilsa import

Among the several uncertainties following the uprising in Bangladesh is how it will affect the supply of the highly popular hilsa fish to India. Hilsa is the national fish of Bangladesh and is in high demand across the border in West Bengal and many other Indian states.

CREDIT: BCCL

Sheik Hasina's Hilsa diplomacy

However, Bangladesh had banned the export of hilsa to India, which almost cut off the entire supply in the market. This changed in 2019 when Bangladesh allowed the export of 500 metric tonnes of Padma Hilsa to India, which increased to 1,850 metric tonnes in 2020.

Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also used to send hilsa fish as a gift to India. In the past couple of years, this used to coincide with the Durga Puja festival, when hilsa is in high demand in West Bengal.

Also read: Explained: Why Hilsa Fish Is So Popular In Bengal

CREDIT: BCCL

Normal trade to resume soon: officials

While the future of hilsa imports from Bangladesh is uncertain, officials in India have expressed optimism that trade between the two countries through land ports in West Bengal will normalize soon.

Bangladesh is India's biggest trade partner in South Asia, and India is the second-biggest trade partner of the neighbouring country in Asia.

India's main exports to Bangladesh include vegetables, coffee, tea, spices, sugar, confectionery, refined petroleum oil, chemicals, cotton, iron and steel, and vehicles.

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