Hoteliers in Siliguri on Monday lifted a 13-month ban on Bangladeshi guests, citing recent political developments in the neighbouring country and a perceived decline in the anti-India rhetoric among leaders in the newly elected BNP government there.
Members of the Greater Siliguri Hoteliers Welfare Association (GSHWA) on Monday said the decision was taken after reviewing the current political situation in Bangladesh.
Ujjwal Ghosh, the joint secretary of the GSHWA, said the association had stopped offering accommodation to Bangladeshi nationals since December 2024 due to political turmoil in Bangladesh and anti-India sentiment there after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.
“Following the recent political developments in Bangladesh and formation of an elected government, we have decided to allow Bangladeshi citizens to stay in hotels in Siliguri and surrounding areas from today (Monday),” Ghosh said.
He added that after the elections were held in Bangladesh on February 12, the association conducted an online vote among its members on whether to resume hosting visitors from the country. More than 75 per cent of members voted in favour of lifting the ban, leading to the decision.
According to Ghosh, the association represents over 180 hoteliers, while another 50 hotels operate across the city.
Earlier, hotels in Siliguri accommodated around 40,000 visitors from Bangladesh each month who would come to the city for medical treatment, education and tourism. However, after the fall of the Hasina government and the subsequent visa curbs by the Indian government, the number had declined to 1,200 per month.
Eventually, as the association imposed the ban, other hoteliers in the city voluntarily followed suit and declined bookings from Bangladeshi nationals.
“Due to the ban, hoteliers incurred losses of around ₹10 lakh per month, amounting to around ₹1.30 crore since December 2024. We hope that improved political stability in Bangladesh will help revive business and enable our members to recover the losses,” Ghosh said.
