In a letter signed by Dr. Md. Khaled Kanak, acting Director-General of the Department of Fisheries, these no-objection certificates were cancelled on September 22. Since then, the import process has been halted.

General Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association Ziaur Rahman Zia confirmed the matter, saying that hilsa imports have stopped due to the cancellation of the no-objection certificates. This has put importers in trouble.

Hilsa importer Syed Mahidul Haque Rubai said that due to the sudden halt in imports, they have faced major losses. The hilsa bought for import will now have to be returned at lower prices. In addition, they will also have to suffer losses on import expenses.