Yesterday at Karwan Bazar kitchen market, a piece of 1kg hilsa was sold at Tk. 500 to 600. The price of a Hilsa weighing 2kg could reach as much as Tk 1,500 or more. Fish traders say the price is the same as the day before.

In the city's kitchen markets customers usually surround the hilsa traders mostly out of curiosity just to witness how this traditional fish changes hands in exchange for hefty sums, out of reach to the commoners.

Rasheda Akter, a customer in Karwan Bazar said yesterday, "It is the season of hilsa but we are unable to buy one."

Akter, a resident of Maghbazar admitted that she had to buy Jatka twice from the market just to keep her family members happy.

Mustafizur Rahman another customer from Tejgaon said, "A full grown hilsa full of eggs is the most delicious food for me but I cannot think of buying it because of the huge price"

"Customers cannot even bargain with the vendors. They are rude and not a bit sympathetic towards us", he added.

During June and September full-grown hilsa comes from the sea and enters the riverine system of Bangladesh for spawning in the sweet water. During this period they are even tastier.

Most of these fishes get caught at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal. The mouth of Bay of Bengal is so heavily silted that less and less Hilshas are able to enter the rivers of Bangladesh for spawning, causing less production. There are also reports that hilsa schools rushing towards rivers are also diverting their routes towards Myanmar due to silted seabed at the mouth of the bay.

Over 90 per cent hilsa arriving in the capital, is caught in the Bay of Bengal away from the rivers.

June and September used to be the festive season of the fishermen as well. Babul Chukdar, a wholesale fish trader from Chandpur, Maachghat said yesterday, "Wholesale price is almost the same as yesterday. 38kgs (A maund) of hilsa cost about Tk. 14, 000 to 15, 000"

Chukder added that the river Padma can no longer provide any satisfactory catch. Fishermen have to travel all the way to Bay of Bengal to catch fish and this increases the expenditure of the fishermen with the soaring price of diesel, he said.

"For one trip to the bay a boat has to spend about Tk. 3000 worth of diesel. Around 15 fishermen go together in a single trip, which adds the cost of food for all," Chukder said.

Most fishermen do not have their own boat and net. Mahajons supply the boat and net in exchange for certain percentage of the catch. This also causes extra expenditure. All this is adding to the soaring market price of hilsa, he said.

The government on July 3 enforced a ban on exports and preservation for hoarding of Hilsha for the next six months. According to a study of the central bank, some unscrupulous traders have been exporting Hilsha to India at prices much lower than in domestic markets.

Bangladesh exports about 5 billion taka ($70 million) of hilsha annually, mostly to India, officials said.

In 2006, the total hilsa catch was 280,000 tonnes against 276,000 tonnes in the previous year.