The government yesterday approved the applications of 49 businessmen to export 2,450 tonnes of hilsa to India as the demand for this kind of fish rises among Indian consumers ahead of Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival in the neighbouring country, scheduled to be held next month.

"Selected exporters will have to complete the shipment of hilsa to India by September 30," said Tapan Kanti Ghosh, senior secretary to the commerce ministry.

Each exporter is allowed to ship 50 tonnes of hilsa from Bangladesh. Mainly local exporters apply to the commerce ministry almost every year to send the fish to India ahead of Durga Puja.

The commerce ministry then approves the applications after scrutiny, Ghosh added.

Since 2012, Bangladesh has been maintaining a ban on hilsa exports but the government allows shipments of the national fish ahead of Durga Puja every year as a friendly gesture.

Last year, the commerce ministry gave approval to 115 firms to export 4,600 tonnes of hilsa to India against applications from around 200 companies. However, only 1,100 tonnes were ultimately exported.

Some 1,450 tonnes were exported to India in 2020 with 18 firms having received permission that year. In 2019, only one trader got permission and exported 500 tonnes of the fish.

Local fishers caught 5.65 lakh tonnes of hilsa in fiscal 2020-21, the highest on record, while it was 5.5 lakh tonnes a year ago, shows data from the Department of Fisheries.