Why is hilsa still our national fish when we can’t afford it?
It should be questioned why a fish that has gradually become an expensive delicacy is still considered as the national fish when common people cannot afford to enjoy it
Owing to the interim government's decision to ban the export of hilsa to India and then backtracking on it; as well as the abnormal price of hilsa even during peak season - our national fish has turned into a cause célèbre in the public domain, especially on social media.
For long, hilsa fish traders have provided vague answers to explain the reasons behind such abnormal prices. The same traders and exporters export hilsa to India at a lower price than the Bangladeshi market.
According to media reports, the price of hilsa exported through the land port on the occasion of Durga Puja has been set at $10, or around Tk1,180 (700 grams to 1 kg of hilsa); but the same size of hilsa fish is sold at a wholesale price of around Tk1,650 in local markets.
It was revealed during a recent investigation by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection that hilsa traders and retailers are selling hilsa at up to Tk750 higher prices than their purchase price, raking in huge profits.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The passion around hilsa is intertwined with Bengali culture, cuisine and tradition, but it is gradually fading away. One of the reasons for this is that Hilsa is no longer a fish that cross-sections of people can afford, rather it is gradually turning into a delicacy of those belonging to the upper rungs of the social ladder.
This begs the question: why should hilsa should still be considered our national fish when Bangladeshis cannot relish their favourite fish any more?
To answer that question, we would have to unpack a number of things.
First, there is the failure of the state apparatus. If we think about reasons why the national fish gradually became unaffordable, the failure of the state and various government institutions associated with the state machinery becomes more evident.
One of the reasons for the high prices is the unholy nexus between syndicates and the dominance of extortionists. Most of these extortionists maintain a tutelary relation with different political parties who embolden them, making it almost impossible to stop these people and putting an end to extortion.
Even the interim government has failed to neutralise the syndicates. Market monitoring initiatives have been undertaken, but to no avail. At the wholesale and retail level, price manipulation is going on without any hindrance. Thus, the price of hilsa is rising every day.
Secondly, hilsa prices also point to growing social inequality. The difference between the income of the upper class and the poor is widening. That is why, while some people are still buying this fish, most of the people belonging to the lower echelons of society refrain from even asking the price of hilsa. Most people cannot afford to buy it.
Even upper-middle class people are not buying hilsa as they are tightening their belts to cope with the rising financial strain caused by high inflation and economic upheavals.
On the other hand, certain people are buying this fish effortlessly. If you ever go to any premium super shop, you will see that hilsa is being sold like hot cakes. This insinuates that a certain group has enough money – much of which have been earned by depriving and exploiting the labour class – to buy hilsa even at exorbitant prices.
If the majority of people in the country cannot buy this fish and eat it, then is it logical to recognise hilsa as the national fish? It almost feels like a mockery of the economic and social plight of the common people.
Besides, no one knows anything clearly about why hilsa is our national fish. Even the fisheries experts who were part of the administration and research team from 1971-72 could not provide a clear response to this.
According to an article published in Prothom Alo titled 'How hilsa became the national fish', people who were involved in the process of selecting Bangladesh's national fish, fruits, flowers, and animals back in 1972 could not provide befitting logic for selecting hilsa as the national fish.
At least, the price of hilsa was definitely within the reach of the commoners at that time. But now the social context (along with economic realities) has drastically changed.
However, if we employ common sense, it is clear that several factors might have worked behind the selection of hilsa as the national fish – one of these is Bsngalis' infatuation with fish and rice. There is a proverb that 'fish and rice are a must for Bangalis' (Mache-Bhate Bangali).
This underlines the presence of fish in our cuisine, making fish an inseparable part of our culture.
As hilsa is the best when it comes to taste, this might have been why it was at the top of the choice when considering the national fish.
Another significant factor could be its nutritional value. According to nutritionists, the amount of beneficial nutrients like calcium, protein, vitamin C, minerals, fat, iodine, and lipids in hilsa is much higher than other fishes.
But the reality is that most people cannot afford to buy this nutritious fish. Against such a backdrop, why should hilsa be still considered as our national fish? Why not pangas? The general logic is that a country should choose the national fish based on what common people can afford.
Take the case of pangas fish as an example. This fish is being sold in the market at Tk200 per kg. People from all walks of life can buy this fish every month.
Moreover, pangas fish is also full of nutritional benefits. The only problem is that if it is selected as our national fish, the syndicates can also manipulate its price. In that case, the concerned people can select any fish from the list of 735 species of fishes found in Bangladesh.
There are only two options left for us now. The interim government or whoever comes to power later has to break the vicious cycle of syndicates to bring the price of hilsa within the reach of the masses.
If you cannot do that, please change our national fish. Bangladeshis can probably no longer bear the afflictions caused by their inability to purchase and eat the national fish to their heart's content.
Md Morshedul Alam Mohabat is a columnist who likes to delve deeper into the human psyche and social incongruities with a view to exploring the factors that influence these.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
