Hundreds of Bangladeshis stranded in Kolkata after the Bangladesh government suddenly closed its borders with India urged upon Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to allow them to get back home.
Most of them are ailing people who came to various hospitals at Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata for treatment purposes. But on reaching Kolkata, they stumbled into great uncertainty. Now, desperate to return home, they have approached the Bangladesh Sub-High Commission in Kolkata forNo Objection Certificate (NOC). When the Kolkata High Commission informed them that it was not possible to give NOC to all as per the government ban, Bangladeshi nationals started protesting in front of the High Commission demanding to make arrangements to take them home.
Many of them were undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Chennai, India and Vellore who got discharged after treatment. Those who were undergoing treatment were also asked to consult doctors after returning home due to terrible Covidsituation in India. After being discharged from hospitals, they came to Kolkata to cross the border. Among them are some children with complex diseases who have had heart surgery.
The Bangladesh government, in a sudden move, closed borders with India from 26 April to 9 May to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The government has banned all foreigners, including Indian nationals, from entering Bangladesh in fear of spreading Covid-19 infection. However, only those who have gone to India for medical treatment or for other reasons, whose visa expires or will be subject to the ban, will be able to return to the country on a priority basis.
However, they have to enter the country with NOC or permit from the Bangladesh Sub-Commission in Kolkata with a Covid-19 negative report and have to stay in mandatory quarantine for 14 days after entering Bangladesh.
Most of the citizens are willing to return to the country obeying government laws, as they are living in miseryin Kolkata as they ran out of cash.
They are not even able to arrange special meals for pediatric patients. Most of them now staying on the sidewalks in front of the Kolkata Sub-High Commission worry what they will do next.
This correspondent talked to a number of Bangladeshi nationals in front of the Kolkata Sub-High Commission on Sunday. They said they were in a dire situation as they ran out of money.
Many complained that the officials of the Sub-High Commission office were not helping them. When they went to meet the officers, the security personnel did not allow them to enter asking them to come later as the officials would not come before 12 o’clock. When contacted, Deputy High Commissioner TawfiqHasan said, “We are having some difficulties as some of our officers got infected with coronavirus.”
According to the Consular Division of the Kolkata Sub-High Commission, they have taken initiative to repatriate the stranded Bangladeshi patients and other visitors. In the meantime, 1,300 such people have been given NOCs as per the rules of Bangladesh government. Most of the Bangladeshi nationals have reached Benapole through the Petrapole border of India and all of them have been sent to the 14-day mandatory quarantine. The consulate also said 600 more applications had been submitted for repatriation. Their applications are being verified. Permits were supposed to be issued on Monday to those who were subjected to government rules.
According to the Consulate Office statistics, about one and a half thousand Bangladeshi nationals have come to India on medical and other visas in the last one month.
Abu JafarSufian, a resident of Chittagong, who was standing in front of the High Commission, said Rosie Enam, 69, died at a residential hotel on Saturday morning after failing to return home. She was a patient of diabetes and hypertension. When she suddenly fell ill, she was denied treatment in several hospitals in Kolkatabecause of the Covid-19 situation. She died the next morning. She had been accompanying her husband who visited an Indian hospital for treatment.
Rosie is the mother-in-law of Professor Afsar Uddin of the English Department of Jahangir Nagar University.
Abu Jafar said that there are many such patients who are waiting for entering into Bangladesh. Some people, especially those who have cancers and have had bypass surgeries have been in trauma after being stranded in Kolkata.
Many other ailing people, such as, AmalMajumderm, hailing from Madaripur, Parveen Akhter from Chittagong, cancer patient Moushumi Ghosh from Khulna, Anisuzzaman from Mymensingand Abdul JalilMridha from Patuakhaliare eagerly waiting to get back home.
They all appealed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to ensure their return to the country as soon as possible.
