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🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Health & Science

Kolkata Hotel Crackdown Leaves Bangladeshi Patients Struggling for Affordable Accommodation

From Daily Star · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A Kolkata safety campaign launched after a deadly hotel fire has closed or threatened to close more than 100 hotels and guesthouses.
  • Bangladeshi patients and their families, who often stay in low-cost lodgings near hospitals, say prices have surged and treatment plans are at risk.
  • The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission has advised visitors to confirm hotel bookings before traveling to Kolkata.

A safety crackdown in Kolkata has left Bangladeshi patients and their families scrambling for affordable places to stay while they seek medical treatment.

Authorities began inspecting hotels and guesthouses after a fire at Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street killed nine people on August 19. Seven of those killed were Bangladeshi nationals. More than 100 hotels and guesthouses have reportedly been closed or face closure over licensing and other approval issues.

Some inconvenience can be accepted in the interest of safety. But if everything is shut down at once, patients are the ones who suffer.

· Shahidul HaqueHe supported the inspections but warned about the impact on patients.

Many of the affected low-cost properties stand in New Market, Marquis Street, Sudder Street, Free School Street, Lindsay Street and Collin Lane. Bangladeshi patients and attendants often choose these areas because they are close to medical facilities and relatively affordable.

Rooms that once cost around Tk 500 are now being offered at several thousand rupees in some places.

· Nazmul HossainHe described the rise in accommodation prices after the crackdown.

Shahidul Haque, who traveled from Bogura for treatment, said he supported the safety campaign but urged authorities to avoid shutting everything at once. “Some inconvenience can be accepted in the interest of safety. But if everything is shut down at once, patients are the ones who suffer,” he said.

The closures have also pushed up prices. Nazmul Hossain, from Gazipur, said rooms that once cost about Tk 500 were being offered for several thousand rupees in some places. Tania Islam, who came with her husband for treatment at a cancer hospital in Thakurpur, said the sudden closures had put her treatment plan in jeopardy because she had arrived with a limited budget.

I came with a budget. Now the accommodation situation is putting my whole treatment plan in jeopardy.

· Tania IslamShe described the effect of hotel closures on her cancer treatment visit.

Local traders called for alternatives before hotels were closed, while transport operator Sona Saha said identifying unsafe and illegal properties could ultimately give Bangladeshi visitors safer accommodation. The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission has urged travelers to confirm their bookings before leaving for Kolkata.

Alternative arrangements should have been made before the hotels were shut.

· Ramen MallickThe local businessman called for replacement accommodation for patients.
About this summary

Originally published by Daily Star in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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