Bangladeshi students in India look homewards with concern

Sept 5 marks a month since Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh

“Does the plight ever end? First, the political turmoil and now devastating floods,” says Nikhil (name withheld on request), a 22-year-old Bangladeshi student in Shivpur, Howrah, West Bengal.

September 5 marks a month since Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s prime minister for 15 years, fled to India after protesters stormed her residence. Over this past month, Bangladeshi citizens in India have watched the situation back home with concern, trying to make sense of what’s happening in their country and how the world is viewing the developments.

“August 5 was historic — Awami League houses on fire, no police, massive rallies. My family felt the intensity of it as a high-ranking leader’s house across the street was reduced to ashes,” Nikhil recalls.

 

Students like him have been reading about attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh in Indian media. “There’s a grey area in how Hindu atrocities in Bangladesh are covered,” says Prateek, another Bangladeshi student (name concealed). “Our media barely acknowledges it, while the Indian press portrays it differently,” he adds.

The protests centred around Dhaka, Chittagong, Rangpur, Khulna, and Rajshahi. The students emphasise that the worst impact was on Awami League elites, regardless of religion. “It’s undeniable that Hindu temples, properties, and lives were targeted,” says Nikhil, “but I’ve also seen Muslims protecting temples and patrolling Hindu-populated areas.”

Nikhil and Prateek are among 15-odd Bangladeshi students studying at a public technological university in Howrah on multiple-entry visas. They request anonymity, citing fears that they might be deported for their political views, an allegation unconfirmed by Business Standard. Their university hosts over 3,500 students, mostly Indians.

Hasina’s ouster has plunged Bangladesh into chaos. Amidst the political turmoil, relentless monsoon rains and runoff from upstream waterways have caused severe flooding, affecting around five million people in 11 districts. Over 5,80,000 families remain stranded, desperately in need of basic necessities.

“The Indo-Bangladesh ties date back to 1971 (to Bangladesh’s liberation), but some friction may be emerging,” notes Prateek. He adds that while political differences exist, those rarely affect the relationship between Indians and Bangladeshis in either country. “Indian students in Bangladesh were initially frightened when the protests broke out, but things began to stabilise as the interim government took over,” he says.

Blow to medical tourism

India has the largest visa operations in Bangladesh. A record 22.2 per cent Bangladeshis visited India in 2023, emerging as the largest tourist population, according to the tourism ministry in India. This was followed by the US (17.79 per cent), UK (9.68 per cent), Canada (9.68 per cent), and Australia (4.05 per cent).

Many Bangladeshi tourists come to India for medical reasons. Medical tourism from Bangladesh saw a 48 per cent surge from 304,067 in 2022 to 449,570 in 2023. They seek high-quality healthcare at affordable prices with shorter wait times.

The Indian Visa Application Centre in Dhaka suspended operations in August, dealing a blow to India’s medical tourism from Bangladesh.

“I used to send 10-15 patients to India every month, which accounted for 60-65 per cent of my medical tourism business. This has stopped since the Indian government suspended visas,” says Kausarul Huq Khan, CEO of Aastha Medical Tourism, Dhaka.

Recently, Indian visa centres began issuing a limited number of visas for emergency and medical purposes, with plans to resume full operations once the situation in Bangladesh stabilises.

Major hospitals like Max, Apollo, Artemis, Medanta, and Fortis are popular among medical tourists. “Narayana Hospital in Howrah has an entire building dedicated to Bangladeshi patients,” says Purba Bhuijan, who works with an ad agency in Dhaka and was recently in Delhi for treatment.

“The doctors have asked me to return every three months. The expenses are tough, but necessary,” she adds. “The expertise of Indian doctors is much needed.”

Bangladeshis prefer India for medical treatment due to its affordability and quality. Other options like Thailand, Singapore, Turkiye, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates are more expensive in comparison.

“Immigration officers asked how I was travelling to India given the situation back home. They seemed concerned I might overstay,” says Bhuijan. “I was in India from August 10 to 15 for treatment at Artemis Hospital in Gurugram. The next day, I packed and headed back because my world is here in Bangladesh — my family, friends, and colleagues.”

She doesn’t know when she will be back.