Kolkata: Many Bangladeshis will miss this year’s Christmas festivities in Kolkata due to ongoing tourist visa curbs.
Nizamuddin Minto, a Bangladeshi national who has been visiting Kolkata during Christmas to volunteer for the Missionaries of Charity for the last 17 years, is disappointed after failing to get a visa this year. Minto is part of a team of 50, comprising good Samaritans from all over the globe. Other members are disappointed too, as they will miss Minto, their long-time friend whom they meet almost every Christmas in Kolkata.
A Dhaka resident, Minto (46), has a long association with Kolkata, especially with the city’s cultural ambiance, architectural beauty, delicious food, and warmth of people. “During one of my visits to Kolkata, I watched some nuns taking care of destitute people. I was so moved that I reached the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity (MOC) the next morning and asked them how I could serve these people. They Told me that I could volunteer my service if I wished. From that day, I started visiting some caregiving centers at Entally, Kalighat and Titagarh,” said Minto, who deals with motor parts in Dhaka.
Pintu Ghose, a money exchanger at Marquis Street, has been a friend of Minto for long. “I wait for my Bangladeshi friend at this time of the year. Barring one or two years, he would come to Kolkata in Dec for sure,” said Pintu.
Albert Ripon Ballow, another Bangladeshi from Barishal, visits Kolkata almost every Christmas. Albert has had an intimate bond with Kolkata for over a decade. He did not get a tourist visa as well. The avid tourist, who resorts to hiking during travel all over the country, had a plan to stay in the city for a week and visit Shantiniketan as well. “I’ll miss the festivities in Kolkata this time. I had a plan to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral on the 25th morning. In the evening, I would have gone to Park Street and Allen Park to feel the vibes among the colorful crowd, ” said Ballove.
The city turns very colorful during Christmas with all its illuminated churches and cathedrals, fun streets, delicious foods, bakery goodies, and markets, especially the Hogg Market, felt Suman Chowdhury, a friend of Ballow who also failed to get the tourist visa to visit. Kolkata on Christmas.