Malda: Hotel and restaurant owners in West Bengal's Malda have announced their decision to bar Bangladeshi nationals from entering their establishments protesting the recent insult to the Indian national flag in the neighbouring country.
The move comes in the backdrop of incidents in which the Indian flag was desecrated in Bangladesh, leading to outrage among Indians. The arrest of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das has further intensified negative feelings toward Bangladesh. In response, thousands of citizens have taken to the streets in Dhaka to support the protests, which have amplified tensions across social media platforms.
Krishnendu Chowdhury, Secretary of the Malda District Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association emphasised that the decision is based on national interest and security concerns, highlighting an increase in border infiltration and the risk of militants disguising themselves as travellers. He said, "The honour of the country comes first for us," acknowledging the significant financial loss of approximately ₹1 lakh daily due to this decision. They informed the police administration about their decision on Tuesday.
The Malda Chamber of Commerce has voiced support for the hoteliers’ stance. President Jayant Kundu noted a decline in trade with Bangladesh, indicating a downturn in cross-border logistics. He remarked on the deteriorating relations between the two countries, urging prompt central government action to address the escalating situation. Earlier, a private hospital in Kolkata also announced that it would not provide medical services to Bangladeshi citizens.
As the unrest continues, the hotel owners maintain their stance, with all 93 registered establishments aligning against allowing Bangladeshi citizens. Hotel owners have cited security concerns as the reason for their actions, prompting the Border Security Force (BSF) to issue an alert in eight districts of North Bengal due to the current situation in Bangladesh. Despite this, several areas along the border remain unprotected. BSF officials have previously stated that extra vigilance has been implemented in these locations.
DIG NK Pandey, the Public Relations Officer of the BSF's South Bengal Frontier, said, "The choice made by the hoteliers in Malda is their own. The BSF is not involved in this matter. However, we are paying close attention to border security, and necessary measures have been taken to ensure strict security arrangements across the entire Indo-Bangla border."
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