Restrictions on visa for Bangladeshi nationals, businessmen in Tripura and West Bengal worried over downswing in pre-puja sales

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, October 1, 2024

The restrictions imposed by the government of India on issuance of visa for Bangladeshi nationals seeking to visit India have created a concern among Indian businessmen in Tripura and West Bengal over an inevitable downswing in pre-puja sales. Even though the four-day ‘Durga Puja’ , greatest annual festival of Hindu Bengalis, is a week away there is no major upswing in sales seen at this time in previous years. Sources in the business community attributed this to the absence of Bangladeshi nationals from the market. “Whatever may happen openly at the instigation of fundamentalists many Muslim people from Bangladesh also come to Tripura and West Bengal to enjoy ‘puja’ festivities as well as to make bulk purchases of garments and fancy dresses because of the spurt in supply to the markets ; this year we are not seeing Bangladeshi customers in any significant numbers and that means loss of business for us” said a veteran garment businessman.

Sources from across the border said that after the August 5 uprising that had led to the forced ouster of Sheikh Hasina from the post of prime minister, the fundamentalists had organised demonstration in front of the visa centres opened by the Indian high commission in Rajshahi, Khulna, Chittagong and Sylhet . Alarmed by the possibility of violent attacks the high commission, upon instructions from the Indian external affairs ministry, had closed down some visa centres and scaled down staff in the high commission in Dhaka. Besides there was also a spurt in traditional infiltration bids into India and that was why the government of India had slowed down or curtailed the issuance of visas for Bangladeshi nationals to visit India.

Sources said that this has only proved the inter-dependence of economies and demand-supply cycle in both the countries and the fundamentalist backers of the new interim regime should understand this , sources said. They added that there are initiatives on both sides to put the relationship back on track and things may hopefully become normal soon though the loss of business this year on the Indian side may be unavoidable, a veteran businessman said.