‘Bangladeshis’: Calcutta University students thrashed by Sealdah shopkeepers, says report

After a group of traders from Sealdah market allegedly attacked seven Calcutta University students and called them “Bangladeshis” on Wednesday night, tensions erupted in central Kolkata.

The altercation started when a student from the university’s Carmichael residence hall went to the market to purchase mobile accessories and argued with a salesman who spoke Hindi about haggling. The student claims that the shopkeeper dubbed him a “Bangladeshi” and screamed insults.

A group of students soon arrived at the market and accosted the vendors. After the dispute got out of hand, the dealers allegedly attacked the students with sticks and other objects, injuring some of them. Later, the injured students received care at a local hospital.

Two people have already been taken into custody in relation to the event, and a complaint has been filed. Members of Bangla Pokkho, a pro-Bengali advocacy group, also protested the episode, claiming that vendors frequently harass Bengali-speaking customers in Sealdah.

“Some students of Calcutta University’s Carmichel hostel had gone to Sealdah market to purchase some mobile covers. The marketplace has been known as a hub of outsiders for a long time. They often abuse Bengali buyers. They called these students Bangladeshi for speaking Bengali. And then they were attacked by sharp arms, sticks, and bamboos. They were Hindi-speaking people. These students now want to verify CCTV footage,” the news outlet quoted the organisation’s general secretary, Garga Chattopadhyay, as saying.