Howrah, Sept. 18 -- With the biggest festival for the Bengali community, Durga Puja, just around the corner, the long-awaited arrival of the Padma Hilsa from Bangladesh has brought both excitement and concern to the wholesalers in the Howrah fish market of West Bengal's Kolkata.

The first consignment of 50 metric tonnes, part of a larger export of 1,200 metric tonnes permitted by the Bangladesh government as a goodwill gesture, reached the market late on Wednesday night after crossing the border at Bangaon.

The prized consignment has stirred enthusiasm among fish lovers and traders, especially due to the unmatched taste of the Hilsa from the Padma River. However, the high wholesale prices, ranging from Rs 1,900 to Rs 2,000 per kilogram,...