Kolkata: The room crisis in central Kolkata’s Free School Street-Marquis Street belt, which is a hub for Bangladeshi tourists, that had begun on Tcontinued to fester on Sunday as an administrative crackdown following the deadly fire at Shikha Inn forced dozens of budget hotels and guest houses to shut down or stop taking guests.The Wednesday fire at the Mirza Ghalib Street property, which claimed nine lives, has prompted authorities to inspect hotels and guest houses across Marquis Street, Lindsay Street, Sudder Street and Collin Lane. Closure notices have been served and several properties sealed for allegedly failing to meet fire-safety and licensing requirements.For years, the Marquis Street-Sudder Street-New Market belt has functioned as a familiar area for Bangladeshi visitors to Kolkata. Its affordability, accessibility and concentration of travel agencies, restaurants, shops and hotels have made it particularly popular with medical travellers and tourists.The sudden action has caused widespread disruption in a neighbourhood that caters heavily to visitors from Bangladesh. The area is home to nearly 500 hotels and guest houses, many operating in mixed-use buildings without valid fire NOCs or other mandatory clearances.For Bangladeshi visitors, particularly those travelling to Kolkata for medical treatment, the closures have created an acute shortage of affordable accommodation. Many have been forced to move away from the central Kolkata hotels, with hotel clusters around the EM Bypass emerging as an alternative because of their proximity to major super-specialty hospitals.For patients already struggling with illness, however, the sudden displacement has meant additional travel, higher expenses and considerable physical hardship.Md Sohail Islam, a patient from Dhaka who is in Kolkata for a follow-up visit, was asked to vacate his room on Marquis Street with only three hours’ notice.“My wife and I were told to leave the room because the building lacked a fire safety clearance and the administration sealed it off,” said Islam. “We had to travel in the heat before finding a vacant room near Mukundapur on the Bypass, but we are paying higher tariff. Also, the place lacks amenities like Marquis Street.”The disruption is not limited to medical travellers. Tourists from Bangladesh are also cutting short their Kolkata trips amid uncertainty over accommodation.Zubin Ahmed, a businessman from Jessore who had planned a five-day trade trip, decided to return home early.“My family back home saw reports of the fire and the sudden hotel raids, and they insisted return immediately,” said Ahmed. “There is too much uncertainty here right now. It is safer to cut my losses, pack up, and head back home for now. I will return when the situation returns to normal.”Shazia Sultan, who is in Kolkata for tourism, has also brought forward her return after her guest house received a notice on Friday evening.“I was supposed to stay until Monday, but my guest house was served a notice on Friday evening,” said Shazia. “Other hotels are either shut or full. Moreover, the situation too is not very favourable. I decided it wasn’t worth the hassle, so I am heading back home two days early.”The crisis has also triggered a rush at travel agencies in the neighbourhood, with visitors seeking immediate bus tickets to return to Bangladesh.Gopal Manna, a local travel agent, said several tourists are returning home in the next few days.“The fire incident and subsequent hotel closures have triggered widespread anxiety among visitors,” said Manna. “We have seen a 40% jump in requests for immediate return tickets over the last 24 hours. People want their tickets processed so they can return home safely.”
