After despair, ‘Mini Bangla’ hopes for a better new year
Times of India | 3 January 2026
Kolkata: Reeling from the second straight year of poor business, traders and hoteliers in central Kolkata's ‘Mini Bangladesh' are looking at the new year with cautious optimism, even as a sharp drop in Bangladeshi tourists during the peak Dec-Jan season continues to hurt livelihoods in the area.
Stretches like Marquis Street, Free School Street, Collin Street and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, known for their close cultural and commercial links with visitors from across the border, once again witnessed a lean Dec-Jan period. Many traders had pinned their hopes on a gradual recovery after a brief uptick in Oct, when the number of visitors travelling on medical visas showed a marginal increase. The optimism, however, faded as renewed political uncertainty in Bangladesh led many travellers to defer or cancel their trips.
According to Harmit Singh, president of the Central Kolkata Hotel Owners' Association, many tourists scheduled to visit Kolkata in the first week of Jan have started cancelling bookings. "Two or three years ago, winter and the New Year period meant a deluge of tourists. Hotels would be running full, and advance bookings would be hard to come by. This Dec-Jan season, we were hopeful of a revival, but instead we are witnessing cancellations," Singh said.
He added several hotels that depend on Bangladeshi guests are operating at a fraction of their usual capacity.
The dip in tourism has also hit small traders and shopkeepers who rely on winter footfall from Bangladesh. "People who came on medical visa had been cautious but were still travelling," said Abdul Rahman, a garments trader on Marquis Street. "We thought things might slowly improve. But once the situation worsened again, even those visitors started cutting their trips short."
Traders say the situation deteriorated in Dec, with many New Year bookings being cancelled. Hyder Ali Khan, secretary of the Free School Street Traders' Association, said the uncertainty made it difficult for businesses to plan ahead. "Dec and Jan usually help us recover losses from the lean months. But this year, there are very few tourists. Shops are open, staff are present, but the buzz is missing," Khan said.
Hotel staff and shop employees echoed similar concerns, pointing to semi-empty restaurants and retail outlets during what is normally the busiest time of the year. Despite setbacks, traders and hoteliers say they are not giving up hope. Many believe if the situation stabilises in the coming months, tourists will return, bringing much-needed relief to the area.