Kolkata’s ‘Mini Bangladesh’ Reels from Rs 1,000 Crore Blow as Political Turmoil Halts Tourism

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5 Key Takeaways

• Kolkata's 'mini Bangladesh' has suffered business losses exceeding Rs 1,000 crore in one year due to political instability in Bangladesh.
• Tourist footfall from Bangladesh has dropped to near-zero, severely impacting hotels, eateries, forex, and related businesses.
• About 40% of small and mid-level restaurants have closed, and many big eateries are struggling to survive with business down to 20%.
• Informal sectors like homestays, home-cooked food providers, and tour guides have also collapsed, affecting hundreds of local livelihoods.
• Many business owners had invested heavily post-pandemic expecting a boom, but now face financial distress and loan repayment challenges.

Kolkata’s ‘Mini Bangladesh’ Faces Rs 1,000 Crore Loss After Political Crisis Next Door
Just a year ago, a small but lively neighborhood in central Kolkata, known as ‘mini Bangladesh’, was buzzing with life. This area, tucked between New Market, Free School Street, and Marquis Street, was a favorite spot for Bangladeshi tourists. They came for the affordable hotels, delicious food from ‘opaar Bangla’ (across the border), easy access to transport, and even medical care. The streets were always busy, with buses full of visitors arriving every day.
But everything changed when political turmoil hit Bangladesh and the government there collapsed. Almost overnight, the flow of Bangladeshi tourists stopped. Now, a year later, the area is still struggling to recover, and the losses are staggering—over Rs 1,000 crore, according to local traders. Some even say the real number could be much higher.
Hyder Ali Khan, who leads the Free School Street Traders’ Association, explains that businesses in the area—hotels, restaurants, travel agents, currency exchanges, and transport—used to make about Rs 3 crore every day. If you include nearby markets like New Market and Burrabazar, the total loss could be over Rs 5,000 crore.
The impact is everywhere. Many businesses have shut down or are now trying to attract local customers instead. “Earlier, it was hard to find parking because so many tourist buses arrived at once. Now, days go by without seeing a single tourist,” says Prabir Biswas, who runs a travel company.
Currency exchange shops, which once thrived on Bangladeshi taka, are now almost empty. “We depended completely on Bangladeshi tourists. Now, we’re barely surviving,” says Mohammad Intezar, who heads the local currency exchangers’ group.
Restaurants have been hit hard too. Nearly 40% of small and mid-sized eateries have closed, and the bigger ones are barely hanging on. “Business is down to just 20% of what it was. We’re just waiting and hoping things will get better,” says NC Bhowmik, owner of Radhuni Restaurant.
The crisis came as a double blow. Many business owners had just invested in renovations after the pandemic, expecting a boom. Now, with loans to pay and little income, some are falling into debt and stress.
It’s not just the big businesses that are hurting. The whole local economy—homestays, tour guides, drivers, cooks, and shop workers—has been shaken. People who once had steady work are now struggling to make ends meet.
For now, Kolkata’s ‘mini Bangladesh’ is a shadow of its former self, waiting for the day when the tourists—and the life they brought—return.

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