Will we be able to return? Anxiety peaks among Bangla tourists in city
Times of India | 18 November 2025
Kolkata: There was palpable tension along the Petrapole-Benapole border following the execution order of former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh nationals attempting to reach their homes amid reports of violence raging across Bangladesh looked afraid and unsure about the situation back home.
An official said that in the past few days, about 1,000 people have crossed the border daily, some arriving in India and others returning to Bangladesh. On Monday, around 700 people headed for Bangladesh, all of them Bangladesh nationals. "If the situation worsens, the flow of people might reduce further," the official added.
Home ministry officials said there had been a sharp spike in appeals for residence permits from several Bangladeshi citizens now in Bengal.
They feared for their safety if they were made to return to Bangladesh. However, issuing such permits is a challenge under the present CAA norms.
For Subir Biswas, a Dhaka resident who had been in the city for the past few months for his four-year-old daughter's treatment, faces a huge dilemma as their visa gets over next week. "The situation in Bangladesh is not conducive to return. If violence continues, our lives will be at risk.
But I am unsure if the FRRO's (Foreigner Regional Registration Office) office will extend our visa."
Similarly, IT engineer Sayan Das, who came to attend a seminar in Delhi and whose visa expires this week, said he was unsure when to head for the border. "If there is a lockdown, how will I reach Chittagong from the border? I have heard horror tales of arson. Frankly, given an option, I do not want to return. But staying here without a valid visa would attract a penalty.
I had gone to the FRRO office, but as I came here on a single entry visa, they are unwilling to extend it.
Officials said that except for a major medical emergency, they cannot do anything. But what will happen if the border is sealed for the violence, as it had happened last Aug, when I was stuck at Petrapole for a couple of days."
A young researcher from Dhaka who does not want to be named plans to return within the next few days as his visa is ending on Friday.
He said that keeping an eye on the developments in Bangladesh, he would like to reach Petrapole and then head for Dhaka avoiding the mob violence. He added, "But the buses are also targeted, so I am unsure if I can reach home safely. I am waiting for peace to resume."
Free School Traders' Association president Monotosh Saha said there were hardly any Bangladeshi guests in the hotels in the area. "Only one Bangladesh national came in the evening on a medical visa in my hotel. It has been like this since Aug 2025 and I do not know how long this will continue," he added.