The Bangiya Hindu Mahamanch has launched a series of protests in Siliguri against Bangladeshis, taking a strong stance against allowing them to stay in local hotels. As part of their ongoing campaign, the organization has submitted a memorandum demanding that hotels deny accommodation to Bangladeshi nationals.
The Mahamanch has called for an immediate halt to accommodating Bangladeshis in hotels and has urged setting a time frame for those already staying to vacate, allowing them to leave the country. The protest is in response to alleged atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh and disrespect towards India’s national flag. On Friday, the group met with representatives of the Siliguri Hotel Owners’ Association, urging them to stop providing lodging to Bangladeshi tourists. They even removed a clock displaying Dhaka time from one of the hotels as a symbolic gesture.
Bangladeshis have long relied on West Bengal for education and healthcare services. Besides tourism, approximately 1.5 lakh people from Bangladesh visit the state annually. Many Bangladeshi students attend English-medium schools in the Darjeeling hills via Siliguri, and numerous others visit the city for medical treatment. However, the Mahamanch has demanded that no Bangladeshi be allowed to stay in hotels and those already accommodated be asked to leave immediately.
Earlier, hoteliers in Malda had also issued a similar restriction against Bangladeshi tourists. Following suit, the Mahamanch has approached the Siliguri Greater Hoteliers’ Welfare Association with the same demand. Siliguri is home to over 300 hotels, and on average, 2,500 to 3,000 Bangladeshi nationals visit the city daily.
Speaking on the matter, Vikramaditya Mandal, president of the Bangiya Hindu Mahamanch, stated, “Our protest is against the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh and the disrespect shown towards India’s national flag. We have urged hotel owners in Siliguri not to accommodate Bangladeshis. In the future, we will also request educational institutions and medical organizations to deny services to them.”
In response, Ujjal Ghosh, joint secretary of the Siliguri Greater Hoteliers’ Welfare Association, said, “We condemn the unrest in Bangladesh. However, the decision to allow or deny accommodation to Bangladeshis will be discussed with other members of the association before any action is taken.”
