Confirm Kolkata hotel bookings before travel
Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commission in Kolkata has advised Bangladeshi citizens travelling to the Indian city to confirm their hotel bookings before departure, amid a shortage of accommodation following the temporary closure of several hotels and restaurants after a deadly fire.
In a notice issued on Sept 3, the mission said local authorities had taken a series of precautionary measures following the fire in Kolkata on Aug 19.
Some residential hotels and restaurants considered vulnerable to accidents have been temporarily closed to comply with safety requirements and other regulations.
The authorities have indicated that some of the closed establishments could take more than a month to reopen, according to the notice.
Against this backdrop, the Deputy High Commission urged Bangladeshis travelling to Kolkata for medical treatment or other purposes not to leave without securing accommodation in advance.
Travellers have been advised to confirm their hotel bookings and check whether the hotel is currently operating, whether rooms are available, the validity of the booking and the location of the property.
The mission issued additional advice for attendants accompanying patients seeking medical treatment in Kolkata.
They have been asked to confirm accommodation before leaving Bangladesh and verify the availability of rooms, validity of the booking, distance between the hotel and the hospital, and other necessary facilities.
“In such circumstances, travellers are requested not to visit Kolkata without confirming hotel bookings in advance in order to avoid accommodation problems after arrival,” the mission said.
The advisory follows the Aug 19 fire at a hotel near Kolkata’s New Market, which killed nine people.
The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission later confirmed that seven of the victims were Bangladeshi nationals and two were Indian citizens. Around 60 people were rescued from the building.
Amid this situation, there have been some incidents of harassments of Bangladesh who had gone to Kolkata for medical treatment. Some media reported that the patients and their attendants had been passing nights in the streets as they are not getting hotel accommodations.
They complained that the hotel authorities are not giving rooms for staying. Even the alleged when they pay high rents they were allowed in some hotels but had to leave the hotel before dawn.
The patients and attendants told the media that they were experiencing serious harassments there.
Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka has urged visa applicants to remain alert to unauthorised agents and visa touts who make false promises of guaranteed visas, faster processing and confirmed appointment slots.
In a separate notice, the High Commission warned that such agents could cause applicants to lose money, visas and valuable time.
It advised applicants not to hand over money, documents or personal information to unauthorised agents.
The mission particularly urged people seeking transit visas to apply directly through the official visa process. “Stay alert. Stay safe,” it said.
