Fish exporters Thursday urged the government to allow them to export to India hilsha fish weighing 600 grams to one kilogramme for US dollar 4 per kg, reports BSS.

They made the call at a press conference at the National Press Club, jointly organised by Bangladesh Fish Exporters' Association (BFEA) and Fish Importers Association (FIA) of India.

BFEA President Ajit Kumar Das, Indian FIA President Atur Chandra Das and Bangladesh Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Director and hilsha fish exporter Ebadul Haq Chan addressed the press conference.

The BFEA president demanded review of Bangladesh Bank rules on 10 per cent cash incentive for the exporters of frozen shrimp and other fish to provide the hilsha exporters with the same facility.

Hilsha is being exported to India under the South Asia Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA), but the Indian importers feel discouraged as the price of Bangladeshi hilsha is higher than the Myanmar hilsha, exporters said.

They said the price of per kg hilsha in 1996 was $ 1.5, which rose to $ 4 in 2006.

The press conference was told that the last caretaker government banned the export of hilsha fish to India in 2007 and the ban was lifted in March 2008.

Then the price of per kg hilsha weighing 600 grams to 1 kg was fixed at $6 while the 1 kg to 2 kg at $ 8, and above 2 kgs at $ 12.

The same category of Bangladeshi hilsha worth $ 6 per kg is available from Burma at $ 2.35. Therefore, there is a possibility of losing the Indian market.

The exporters said if the export of hilsha to India stops, it would increase trade imbalance between the two countries and affect 5 lakh to 6 lakh people directly and indirectly.

Replying to a question, the BFEA president said more than 1 lakh tons of hilsha fish is marketed in Bangladesh daily.

The Indian FIA president told a questioner that the demand of Bangladeshi hilsha fish in India is 6 to 7 thousand tons daily. He said India normally imports hilsha weighing 800 to 900 grams.

BFEA General Secretary Nizam Uddin and hilsha exporters Aiyub Ali, Mujibur Rahman and Abdul Wadud were present at the press conference.