For many Bengali homes, the Puja menu is planned around one fish. Shorshe ilish on Saptami, ilish bhapa for the visiting relatives, a fried piece with the first plate of khichuri. For the last few years, part of that ilish has come across the border from Bangladesh in a short festive window. This year, that window looks shut.
Bangladesh has halted hilsa trade with India just days before Durga Puja. According to the Fish Importers Association, which works out of the Howrah wholesale fish market, all permits on the Bangladesh side were cancelled through a circular dated September 23. The association’s secretary, Syed Anwar Maqsood, told reporters that time has run out for any festive shipments this season.
What Exactly Has Happened
The story this year is unusual because the fish had started flowing the other way. Bangladesh reportedly had a weak hilsa catch, and over the past two months India sent it around 500 tonnes of hilsa. Most of that came from Gujarat, shipped through Bharuch, with some routed through the Howrah wholesale market.
Gujarat hilsa carries a lot of roe. That makes it less popular with Kolkata buyers, who prize the flesh of Padma ilish, but very attractive to buyers in Chattogram and Sylhet. Traders say part of it was processed and sold on, and part was dried and sold as salted hilsa.
Now that trade has been stopped too. With the permits cancelled and no fresh export quota announced for 2026, there is no clarity on whether any Padma hilsa will reach West Bengal before the festival.
A Tradition With a Short History
Many Kolkatans assume Padma ilish at Puja is an old custom. The official version is more recent:
- 2012: Bangladesh banned hilsa exports to protect supply at home.
- 2019 onwards: Dhaka began making short exceptions ahead of Durga Puja, allowing limited quantities into India.
- 2024: An initial approval of 3,000 tonnes was later cut to 2,420 tonnes.
- 2025: 1,200 tonnes were approved for the Puja period.
- 2026: No quota so far, and trade permits cancelled on September 23.
Even in good years, actual shipments often fell short of the approved amounts because of limited catch, high prices in Bangladesh and export windows that lasted only about a month. Earlier in September, the Kolkata-based Fish Importers’ Association had written to Bangladesh’s Commerce Minister asking for regular exports rather than a festive-season concession, and around 18 Bangladeshi companies had applied to export. Dhaka had asked its fisheries ministry to assess supply before deciding. The September 23 circular now appears to settle it for this Puja.
What It Means for Your Puja Shopping
Kolkata will not run out of ilish. Hilsa caught in Indian waters, from the Bay of Bengal coast and the river mouths to Gujarat, still reaches Howrah and markets like Maniktala, Gariahat and Lake Market. What will be harder to find is fish that is genuinely from the Padma, and that is where buyers need to be careful.
We are not quoting prices here because they change daily with the catch, but traders usually expect the top sizes to cost more in the run-up to the Pujas, and less supply from one source rarely makes things cheaper. If you are also watching kitchen costs, our report on the Rs 35 buffer-stock onions coming to Kolkata covers another Puja-season relief measure.
Practical Tips for Buying Ilish This Season
- Be sceptical of a “Padma” label. With the trade halted, any fish sold as fresh Bangladeshi ilish this Puja deserves a few questions. Ask the seller where and when it arrived.
- Check freshness, not the story. Look for bright, clear eyes, red gills, firm flesh and a clean, briny smell.
- Buy from a regular seller. A fishmonger who knows you is less likely to pass off frozen stock as fresh.
- Consider frozen for bulk cooking. Good frozen hilsa can work for bhapa or jhol when fresh fish is costly.
- Shop early in the day for the best choice before the Puja rush.
- Eating out instead? See our guide to the best Bengali fish restaurants in Kolkata for places that put ilish on the Puja menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Bangladesh banned hilsa exports to India in 2026?
Bangladesh has banned general hilsa exports since 2012. For 2026, no special Puja quota has been announced, and according to the Fish Importers Association, trade permits were cancelled through a circular on September 23.
Will there be hilsa in Kolkata markets during Durga Puja?
Yes. Fish from Indian waters and other sources will still be on sale. Bangladeshi Padma hilsa is what is likely to be missing.
Why did India export hilsa to Bangladesh this year?
Bangladesh reportedly had a poor catch, so its traders bought about 500 tonnes from India over two months, mostly roe-heavy Gujarat hilsa.
Could the decision change before Puja?
Importers in Howrah say time has run out for this season. Any change would have to come from Bangladesh’s government, so watch for official announcements.
The Bottom Line
This Durga Puja is likely to be the first in several years without the festive shipment of Padma ilish from Bangladesh. The fish will still be on Kolkata’s plates, just from different waters. Shop with your eyes and nose rather than the label, ask where your ilish came from, and enjoy the Puja feast anyway.
Sources: Statements by the Fish Importers Association (Howrah wholesale fish market) as reported by The Indian Express and The Daily Jagran, September 26, 2026; background on export quotas and the importers’ letter to Dhaka from NewsDrum, September 11, 2026.
Featured image: Fresh fish on ice at a market, photo by Tapan Kumar Choudhury on Unsplash.
