Indian Municipal Crackdown Leaves Bangladeshi Medical Tourists Homeless in Kolkata
Photo: Collected
Thousands of Bangladeshi medical tourists seeking treatment in Kolkata have faced severe distress after local authorities in India closed 919 hotels and guesthouses following a devastating fire that claimed nine lives, including seven Bangladeshi nationals, on August 19.
The sweeping crackdown on accommodation facilities by the local municipal corporation in Kolkata has left many visiting patients and their attendants overnight without shelter, forcing some to take refuge on pavements. The sudden crisis has disrupted medical travel logistics, prompting numerous Bangladeshi patients to redirect their journeys toward New Delhi and Chennai in search of medical care and lodging.
In response to the disruption, corporate hospitals in Kolkata are attempting to restore confidence among international patients by partnering with officially approved guesthouses. Meanwhile, small business owners and travel agents who cater to Bangladeshi medical tourists are also grappling with significant financial fallout from the closures, even as Indian municipal authorities maintain an uncompromising stance on public safety and building compliance.
