Kolkata’s “Mini Bangladesh” — centered around Free School Street and Marquis Street — has suffered estimated losses of over ₹1,000 crore in the past year due to India’s anti-Bangladesh stance following Sheikh Hasina’s fall in August last year.
After India halted visas, including medical ones, Bangladeshi patients were turned away from hospitals, and hotels in states like Tripura stopped hosting them. Once bustling with Bangladeshi tourists, the area’s businesses — from hotels and restaurants to forex and transport services — are now struggling to survive.
Local traders say business has dropped by 80%, with many eateries shutting down and currency exchangers left idle. The informal economy, built around Bangladeshi tourism, has also collapsed, leaving hundreds jobless.
What was once a post-pandemic boom turned into a crisis. "We took loans expecting a recovery. Now we can’t repay them,” said a local restaurant owner.
