Abu Bakar Talukdar couldn’t stop praising God upon his arrival in West Bengal's Kolkata on 19 July. The 62-year-old shuddered to recall that he, his wife, and his daughter, had to risk their lives to board a bus in Bangladesh capital Dhaka the night before.
“Our house is around 10 km away from the bus stand in Dhaka from where the buses for Kolkata depart. We were looking forward to coming to Kolkata. But the violence changed everything. We heard gunshots on our way to the bus stand, and also saw glass shards on the roads. We somehow reached on time to catch the bus, but some 6-7 passengers weren't able to reach on time and missed the bus.”Abu Bakar Talukdar
The Talukdar family is on medical tourism. Talukdar has booked a hotel on Marquis Street for his family to stay for the next 4-5 days.
“We couldn’t cancel our travel plans because my wife is suffering from thyroid, heart ailment, and diabetes. She needs immediate medical attention. Allah protected us all the way,” he told The Quint.
As the violence in Bangladesh escalates, the regular bus services between Kolkata and Dhaka have been affected.
So much so that Talukar said that it took them 15 hours to reach Kolkata, as compared to the usual 12 hours that it takes, due to security issues.
Bangladesh been rocked by protests since a High Court in June reinstated the quota system reserving 30 percent of government jobs for children and grandchildren of freedom fighters and veterans from the 1971 War of Independence. The Supreme Court has since suspended the High Court's order, with the next hearing scheduled on 7 August. But the violence has only intensified.
Tourists Stranded, Worried About Safety
Md Alim, a 22-year-old college student enrolled in Bangladesh's National University, arrived in Kolkata on 17 July for his maiden trip to India. He was excited to explore the city where a majority of people speak and communicate in Bengali, the language spoken in his native country.
He is among those tourists who are now left stranded as bus services and airfares remain impacted.
Normally, 12-15 buses ply from Kolkata's Marquis Street, ferrying around 700-750 passengers every day to Bangladesh, bus operators told The Quint. Currently, three or less buses are operational because of the security concerns.
“We are unable to operate the normal bus service due to security issues. Passengers are making a beeline at our office, but we are helpless and able to ply just 1-2 buses every day,” said Rajpal, employee at Shyamoli Travels, a private bus operator.
The disruption in road transport to Bangladesh has led to the rise in airfares, too.
“The airfares usually hover around Rs 5,000-Rs 6,000. But now it's difficult to find a flight for less than Rs 20,000 (as on 19 July). This is the steepest hike that I have ever witnessed in my career on this route,” said Moinuddin, a travel agent on Marquis Street.
He added, “Despite the high price, we are still unable to book tickets because the servers for Bangladesh airlines are down. People are even ready to pay the high price, but we are helpless.”
Students-led protests over quotas, which started in the country's elite institution, University of Dhaka, on 1 July were mostly peaceful. However, it turned violent when those aligned to Awami League, the ruling party, allegedly began attacking the protestors. Since then, massive violence has gripped the country, killing more than 100 and injuring 2,500 others.
Speaking against quotas and in support of the ongoing protests, Md Alim said,
“Students have taken the right stand against the quota system. Thanks to quotas, individuals who are less competent get good jobs, while the meritorious students suffer. There cannot be any discrimination when it comes to job opportunities. Everybody should have an equal right. I am in full support of the movement – I might join them upon my return."
Meanwhile, Md Alim's friend Md Riad told The Quint that his house is just a few meters away from the epicenter of the violence in Dhaka, causing him to worry about the safety of his family members.
“Internet services are suspended, and even phone calls are not going through. We haven't been able to get in touch with our families since 18 July. We are concerned about them. And they also might be thinking about our safety.”Md Riad, college student
The Mood on Marquis Street – and Rest of 'Mini Bangladesh'
Kolkata has now long served as a transit point for medical tourism and otherwise for people of Bangladesh. What helps is the city's linguistic and cultural ties. Apart from Marquis Street, areas like Free School Street and Collins Street, too, see a considerable footfall of tourists from Bangladesh. To cater to them, there are travels agents and restaurants completely dependent on them for livelihood.
These areas also have currency exchange shops for Bangladeshi nationals, a bus stand from where the Kolkata-bound buses from Bangladesh arrive, and hotels where the visitors stay.
Local shopkeepers rued fewer buses as well as tourists coming from Bangladesh since the protests started.
“We survive completely on Bangladeshi nationals, and they are our main source of income. We hardly get local customers. The violence has affected our business badly. Our shops are running empty,” rued Azhar Khan, a cloth shopkeeper.
However, the eateries that cater to Bangladeshi nationals have seen an uptick in their business.
“My business has grown by 20 percent since the violence erupted because many tourists are stuck in hotels and unable to go back because of disruption in vehicular movement. Earlier, we used to have around 500 customers per day, but now it’s almost 600 or more,” said Md Sabir, owner of Nawab Eating House, a sought-after restaurant on Collin Street.
Meanwhile, on 19 July, several Left aligned student unions and human rights organisations staged a protest march in Kolkata against the alleged action by security forces on student protestors, calling it "inhumane and brutal".
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