Jumbangla Desk: In consideration of middle and low income people, the sale of hilsa pieces has started in Rajshahi from Thursday. However, pieces of hilsa below 250 grams are not being sold anywhere. And buyers have to pay an average of 400-500 taka to buy a piece of hilsa of this size.

Ilish-Fish

As a result, Hilsa is beyond the reach of middle and low income people. Meanwhile, ban on hunting, marketing and transportation of hilsa fish is starting tomorrow from October 13 to November 3. As a result, Hilsa hunting ended on Friday. Selling and transporting Hilsa is ending today Saturday.

It can be seen from the surface on Friday that one kilogram of hilsa is Tk 1,800 to Tk 2,000, one and a half kg Hilsa is Tk 2,200 to Tk 2,500, 300-350 grams of Jatka is Tk 800 to Tk 900 and 500-600 grams of Hilsa is Tk 1,400. It is being sold at the price of 1 thousand 600 taka per kg. Besides, 300-350 gram pieces of jatkar are being sold at Tk 1,200 and 500-600 gram pieces of hilsa are being sold at Tk 2,000 per kg.

The sellers say that at the beginning of the season, the price of hilsa was slightly lower than the current one. However, due to ban on hilsa hunting, sale and transportation during Durga Puja, the price has increased a lot. As a result, even if the price is high, it cannot be said that hilsa is not being sold in the market. Rich class and capable people are buying and eating hilsa at high prices and entertaining guests. But this number will not be more than 20-25 percent of total customers. Many of them are buying two small jatkas each.

In such a situation, considering the low and middle income people, the leaders of the business coordination council inaugurated the sale of pieces of hilsa under the banner of Fishermen's Association in Sahebbazar, Rajshahi. President of the organization Farid Mamud Hasan and General Secretary Sekender Ali inaugurated the sale of pieces of hilsa. But small size pieces of jatkar 250 grams are being sold for minimum 300-500 taka. Many times there have been complaints of adding pieces of soft-rotten fish with pieces of fish. Due to this, the lower classes are returning home disappointed.

Alauddin, a retail hilsa vendor near New Market Artat in Rajshahi, has been selling hilsa for nearly 30 years. He said that hilsa is not coming in the market even in the current full season. The little hilsa that is coming, its price is quite high. Most of the buyers who come to buy hilsa are buying small size jatka.

But some people are buying big hilsa. But this number is less. He said, even 10/12 years ago, the price of hilsa was reduced during full monsoons. People of all classes used to buy hilsa. Now the price of hilsa is high throughout the year. So lower and middle people are not buying Hilsa.

Aniruddha who came to buy hilsa said, I have been thinking for a month, I will buy hilsa if the price drops a little. But the price has not decreased, rather it is increasing. So not bought. On Thursday, I heard that pieces of hilsa are being sold. On Friday, I saw that the price of pieces of hilsa is at least 400-500 taka more per kg than whole hilsa. One poa (250 grams) of hilsa is not available for less than Tk 300-500. There are also various manipulations. So the thought of buying hilsa is out of the question for now.

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Mahabub Siddiqui, a history and river researcher, said that even 10-12 years ago, almost everyone, rich and poor, used to eat hilsa during monsoons. At that time, hilsa was also caught in Rajshahi's Padma during monsoon. Now Hilsa is not caught in Padma, I hear that sometimes one or two Jatka are caught. Even poor people cannot weave hilsa. So Hilsa is now the curry of the rich.