There is an old Bangali proverb: "Machhe bhate bangali" - An equivalent English translation might be: Fish + Rice = Bangali.

Bangladeshis and Bengalis are noted for their love of fish, and one of these is the Hilsa shad, contributing 30 % of total fish production of Bangladesh, and about 40 % fishermen or 2 % of total population of the country earn their livelihood depending on Hilsa fishery directly or indirectly.