Bangladeshi visitors’ fears at home and abroad, nationals backed by peak anxiety
Telegraph | 27 December 2025
Two Bangladeshis, a Muslim and a Hindu, who are in Calcutta to get their relatives treated at a hospital, are gripped by anxiety — about their family back home and their own safety here.
One is scared to step out in Calcutta except for the hospital or the hotel. The other worries about his family in Dhaka. Both said they were afraid of the rule of the mob there.
They share another concern: they need to bring their patients back to Calcutta soon for follow-up treatment and are unsure whether they will be able to do so amid political tensions between the two countries.
Mohammed Shohel, 48, from Chittagong, has come to Calcutta for his wife’s cardiac surgery at Narayana RN Tagore Hospital, Mukundapur.
Sawon Das, 31, from Dhaka, is getting his relatives treated at the same hospital. One of his in-laws is undergoing cancer treatment.
Metro spoke to them about their fears and apprehensions.
Stepping out in fear
Shohel, a garment trader, has been coming to India since 2006, either to visit Ajmer Sharif or for medical treatment for his relatives.
“Never had I felt this tension. Earlier, every time I came to Calcutta, visiting New Market and Park Circus was a must. This time, I am just going from the hotel in Mukundapur to the hospital and back,” Shohel said.
His wife, Afroza Khatun, has undergone open-heart surgery and is at RN Tagore hospital. They have come with their 12-year-old daughter. The family will stay for a few days until Afroza is discharged.
He became scared after Tuesday’s violent protests in the city. Members of several saffron organisations threatened to storm the Bangladesh deputy high commission on Circus Avenue and clashed with police when prevented from doing so. They also raised provocative slogans and spewed venom in an attempt to “protect Hindus”.
The protest was against the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Another rally took place on Friday.
“What I am scared of is a mob attack. At the hotel, they have copies of our passports and know we are from Bangladesh, but so far there has been no problem. However, I am scared that if someone suddenly says, ‘Here is a Bangladeshi,’ anything could happen,” he said.
“I am seeing news about such incidents. I am particularly worried about my daughter. We are just eating food and staying at the hospital or the hotel,” he said. “Many of the people who are taking part in violent attacks in Bangladesh don’t know what or why they are doing this.”
Another worry is returning to the hospital for a follow-up.
“We have visas for six months, but if the tension continues, I am not sure whether we’ll be allowed to come back. There are rumours about border closure, too,” he said. “We don’t have money to go to Bangkok or Singapore for treatment. For us, coming to Calcutta is much cheaper. We take a bus. Accommodation and food are also cheap here,” Shohel said.
Family back home
Sawon Das, a pharmacist who runs his own store in Dhaka, has accompanied his brother-in-law, Ridoy Das, 30, to Calcutta. Ridoy’s father underwent knee replacement surgery, while his mother is undergoing chemotherapy at RN Tagore hospital.
“I am extremely worried about my family back home. There is so much violence in the city,” Sawon said. He stays in Dhamandi, Jigatola, Dhaka, with his wife, their 11-month-old son, and his parents.
“The neighbourhood has both Muslims and Hindus living together, and there has been no trouble for many years. I hope no outsider will be able to attack our houses,” he said. “But now, there is an underlying mistrust. I speak to my family every day, several times.”
His brother-in-law, Ridoy, lives in Lalbagh, Dhaka. “There are problems there now. We don’t know how long our families will be safe.”
Ridoy’s mother will also have to return to the hospital after a few months.
“Doctors said they have to get a PET-CT scan done, and if required, she will have to undergo another round of chemotherapy. These facilities are not so advanced in Dhaka,” Sawon said.
He added that obtaining a medical visa for India was “already very time-taking.”
“Earlier, the medical visa for a cancer patient would be available in three days from the application. This time, it took more than a month for us. Also, earlier, there would be multiple entries for medical visas. Now it has been restricted to only three visits in six months,” Sawon said.