Kolkata: A week after the fire at a Free School Street lodge killed nine persons, including seven Bangladeshi nationals, the entire neighbourhood that used to buzz with activity has been left deserted. The fallout of the tragedy continues to sweep through the belt with hotels being shut, visitors from Bangladesh, Nepal and other parts of India scrambling for accommodation, and local businesses counting losses.Even before the bodies of the fire victims were repatriated for burial, authorities began shutting inns, lodges, guest houses and hotels, allegedly without clearly stating the reasons or giving enough time for corrective measures. As a result, hundreds of Bangladeshis staying in these establishments suddenly found themselves on the streets, desperately looking for rooms.“This Monday, more than 200 hotels were shut. Several others in central Kolkata have closed down. That means over 3,000-4,000 rooms are now out of circulation. Bangladeshi arrivals have taken a major hit as uncertainty looms over accommodation. Only those with urgent medical needs are coming now. The buses from Dhaka are arriving half empty, while the return buses are packed,” said Manoranjan Roy, manager of Shyamoli Paribahan on Marquis Street.Blue Sky Cafe, a popular Sudder Street eatery, was nearly empty on Tuesday. “First, the pandemic took away the Western tourists. Now these hotel closures have taken away the Bangladeshis,” said a staffer.Prince Restaurant on Free School Street, which serves Bangladeshi food and usually sees long queues during lunch and dinner, has also recorded a sharp dip in footfall. “Our sales have dropped by 30%. But we will manage. Our heart goes out to the Bangladeshi patients caught in this mess. The entire neighbourhood depends on Bangladeshis, and if they stop coming because of this harassment, it will ruin the economy,” said Chayan Saha, the restaurant manager.Over the past six days, several lodges, guest houses and hotels in central Kolkata have also voluntarily suspended operations, fearing sudden closure notices from KMC and the fire department. Florence Mansion, the building where the fire had killed nine guests is still sealed. Major hotels on Marquis Street, Sudder Street and Free School Street, including Hotel Crystal, Hotel Walson, Golden Apple and Hotel Oriental, have been shut. Astoria Hotel was the only large hotel still operational. On Tuesday, it turned back scores of customers, citing a shortage of rooms.“We were turned away from at least 20 hotels in the area. Finally, we moved to Howrah station to find a hotel,” said Tapi Nath, who had come to Marquis Street with his family of 10 from Purulia.
