No ‘Padmar ilish’ in Kolkata this Puja as B’desh stops Hasina’s ‘hilsa diplomacy’

For the first time in five years, Bengalis will go without ‘Padmar ilish’ during Durga Puja. Bangladesh’s interim government has halted hilsa exports to India due to rising domestic demand. This decision ends a tradition started in 2019 of exporting over 1,000 tonnes of hilsa annually before the festival.