Where have hilsas gone: Scarcity drives up prices in Khulna

Hilsa fishes at the Kalapara fish market on recently.

Known as the pride of Bangali's dining tables, hilsa has now become a luxury in Khulna markets. 

Despite the peak season, dwindling catches have sent prices soaring, leaving traders struggling and ordinary consumers priced out.

Visits to Khulna’s main wholesale fish hubs, Bhairab River’s Ghat No. 5 and the Rupsha Fish Ghat, popularly known as the ‘Hilsa Ghats’, revealed an unusually bleak scene. 

The once-abundant display of hilsa in baskets and trays has thinned considerably, forcing prices to spiral.

“My father and grandfather were in this business. Our family has been trading hilsa for around 70 to 80 years. But we’ve never seen a shortage like this season,” said Sayeed Ali, a wholesale fish trader. 

“Usually, we sell to retail traders, but due to the soaring prices, many have now shifted to other fish businesses,” he said.

For ordinary consumers, the fish that once embodied celebration is now a distant dream. 

Jalal, a 60-year-old rickshaw puller at Khulna’s New Market kitchen market, shared his frustration.

Hilsa is now just for display at the shops. We can’t afford to buy it. Two years ago, my younger daughter insisted I buy some, so I spent Tk 550 for four small jatka. I haven’t been able to buy any since. Now I just go to the market, look at it from a distance and listen to others talk about it,” he said.

He went on to say, “I have to run a family of five on what little I earn from pulling a rickshaw all day. House rent, groceries, my daughters’ and son’s expenses—it’s hard to manage even the basics. Buying hilsa is beyond imagination.”

At New Market and Moylapota kitchen markets, hilsa weighing over 1 kg is being sold at Tk 2,700 each. 

Those weighing between 700–900 grams are priced at Tk 2,200, fish between 600–700 grams at Tk 1,900, and the smaller sizes of 400–600 grams at around Tk 1,200.

For middle-class families, these figures are equally daunting. 

“Even during the peak season, the price of hilsa is beyond reach for ordinary consumers. Though I crave it, I haven’t bought any yet,” said Masuma Lima, a shopper at New Market. 

“Managing household expenses on a middle-class budget has become increasingly difficult. If we can’t afford to buy river-caught hilsa even once or twice a year, what’s left? Now we just settle for seeing photos of it on Facebook,” Lima said.  

Traders themselves are struggling to keep the business afloat. “With current prices, it’s tough for us to even stock fish. Buyers don’t come like they used to. Even after sitting all day, we may sell just a few fish. After transport, shop rent and paying staff, there’s nothing left,” said Badsha Morol, a fish trader at New Market. 

“We used to run our families on this business, but even in peak season, profits are minimal," he said. 

Another trader, Pranto, echoed the concern. 

“Even if five to seven buyers show up a day, most leave after hearing the price. The demand for hilsa is dropping. Often, fish stays unsold for two to four days, and we’re forced to sell at cost or even less. Right now, selling hilsa has become extremely difficult,” said. - UNB