Kolkata: The upheaval in Bangladesh has dealt a debilitating blow to 4,500 shops in and around New Market . Bangladeshis, who comprise a bulk of customers at shops in the belt, have disappeared since Saturday, leading to a business loss of nearly Rs 6.5 crore so far.
All markets in the zone wore a deserted look on Monday evening. Shops that were busy attending to customers and doing roaring business till Friday had hardly any walk-ins on Monday. “The markets in this area, including New Market, are completely dependent on Bangladeshi customers who make up nearly 55%-60% of the footfall and contribute to nearly 70% of the turnover.
Troubled by the violence back home, they have suddenly stopped coming to the markets. It almost feels like a rerun of 2021 when Bangladeshis were unable to travel due to Covid,” said SS Hogg Market Traders Association general secretary Uday Kumar Shaoo. However, unlike the situation three years ago when there were hardly any Bangladeshis in Kolkata due to travel restrictions, a few thousand Bangladeshis are in the city at present, a majority of them stranded due to lack of travel options after most of the flights and buses and all train services between Dhaka and Kolkata were suspended.
But with uncertainty looming large over when the situation will improve in the country, they have become cautious about spending. Wahid Masudinar from Dhaka’s Mohammadpur, the only Bangladeshi TOI could find in New Market between 3pm and 4pm on Monday, explained.