Why should people protect Jatka ?
Perhaps you are aware about the high price of hilsa fish in the market. The price is almost unaffordable for over 90% of the people in the country. The high price may be attributed to export of the fish. It is often seen that whenever an event takes place at state level on production of any item, farm or non-farm, the politicians and their fellow bureaucrats start talking about export of the item, simply ignoring the domestic demand. Some days back the political and administrative elites raised a hue & cry for exporting our natural gas. Similarly, the hilsa was being exported to India since the beginning of the season. The demand of people was not taken into account. Considering the scarcity and high price of hilsa in the market, the caretaker government imposed a ban on the export for six months. We the common people must term it as an act of a government, which is responsive to peoples needs and demands.
Unfortunately, soon the vested quarters came up with many arguments in favour of export of hilsa, such as India would stop export of rice to Bangladesh, India would be very angry, a small neighbour should not dare take such a decision, foreign currency earning would be disrupted and so on. Under the pressure from the vested quarters, which were joined by our foreign ministry, the authorities reportedly are reconsidering the decision. It may be noted that in the face of lower per capita availability of pulses in India, export of the item was banned. Why shall we not ban export of hilsa when people's demand is not met?
We are simply shocked at the news. The foreign currency reserve now stands at $5 billion. Our poor garments workers have sacrificed their lives for earning the foreign currency. Do they not deserve to eat hilsa? How much foreign currency do our elites need? Why people should protect Jatka if the hilsa remains out of their reach? People will not protect Jatka. Hilsa should be extinct from our country if the elites continue to deprive our people.
In view of the above, we would urge the caretaker government not to change its decision. Ban on export of hilsa should and must remain in place.
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