A spectre of fear and uncertainty looms over the trickle of Bangladeshis who have come to India.
Most of them are on medical visas. Some of them don't know when to return.
Dabir Hussain, 45, a supplier of construction materials in Narayanganj, arrived in the city on Sunday on a bus with his 60-year-old elder brother. They have put up in a hotel on Marquis Street. Hussain suffers from an ailment in the lower abdomen. His brother, Hussain Alam Bhuiya, underwent heart surgery at another private hospital off EM Bypass in Phoolbagan last year. He needs a follow-up visit to the hospital.
"Both of us intended to arrive here for medical examinations earlier this year. Unfortunately, our visas lapsed, and the process of acquiring new ones was extremely challenging. We had to wait for several months," remarked Dabir.
Wary of the future and unwilling to take chances, the brothers have decided to stay in India till the medical needs are taken care of. The visas are valid for six months.
"Coming to India is not as easy as it used to be a couple of years ago. We are afraid that bilateral tensions may escalate. We have decided to stay for a long time if needed," said Dabir.
Marquis Street, Free School Street, Kyd Street, Sudder Street, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road and the neighbouring areas — all dependent on Bangladeshi patrons — have remained almost deserted since the latest flare-up in the neighbouring country. Following fresh visa curbs, the number of Bangladeshis coming to Calcutta has dwindled.
Between 1.50pm and 2pm on Monday, two buses from Dhaka reached Marquis Street. More than half the seats were empty in both.
Sheikh Hridoy, a student of political science at Dhaka University, was on the first bus. He had come to India on December 1 with his parents. His father is scheduled to undergo an angiogram at a private hospital in Bengaluru. But Hridoy had to go back to Bangladesh for some "urgent work". He went back on December 19 and returned on Monday. He had a train to catch from Howrah later in the afternoon.
"I was extremely worried. I was not sure whether I would be able to return on Monday, just in time for my father's procedure. When tensions are mounting, I cannot leave them alone in India. We will return home together," said Hridoy.
On the second bus was a middle-aged woman who came with her husband and son. They were also on medical visas. The woman, who requested not to be named, said she and her husband were both ailing but refused to share any more specifics.
"At the immigration counter, the level of scrutiny has gone up significantly. The average time spent at the immigration desk is much longer than it used to be," said the woman.