A ilish fish weighing 2.8kg was caught in a fishing net in the Bay of Bengal near the Kuakata coast.
Later, when the ilish was brought to the Kuakata fish market, a businessman named Muhammad Hasan bought it for Tk6,840, offering the highest bid.
The ilish was caught in the net of a fisherman named Almas Khan Majhi from the Hyer Char area, adjacent to Char Bijoy on the Bay of Bengal, early Tuesday.
He later brought the fish to the Kuakata fish market, where bidding started at Tk4,000 and ended with the final offer of Tk6,840.
Fisherman Almas Majhi said large ilish are becoming scarce in the sea, though a few are still occasionally caught in fishermen’s nets.
Rubel Gharami, director of Moni Fish, mentioned that Almas Khan Majhi uses floating nets in the coastal area of the Bay of Bengal and often brings in larger fish.
He also said an ilish of such a large size had not been caught this season. The price was relatively lower due to the presence of eggs in the fish.
Kalapara Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Apu Saha said the catch of large ilish brings good news for fishermen. Both deep-sea and coastal fishermen are now catching larger ilish more frequently.
"We can attribute this success to the government's ban on ilish fishing twice a year," the upazila fisheries officer added.