Poet & Journalist
The students of University of Calcutta have barred some prominent Bangladeshis to join a programme on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Bengal Library Council of the university.
A group of 685 eminent personalities, including former judges, academicians, bureaucrats and ambassadors, have written an open letter to the people of Bangladesh, urging to follow the path of peace and friendship.
In a protest against the alleged "persecution of minorities" and "ongoing instability," India has temporarily stopped exporting automobile spare parts to Bangladesh. Traders from Delhi's Kashmiri Gate wholesale market have decided not to send these parts to the neighboring country until January 15. As a result, vehicles such as cars, auto-rickshaws, trucks, and public transport in Bangladesh may face significant operational disruptions.
Although train services between Bangladesh and India have been suspended, air communication is still ongoing. However, due to the ongoing diplomatic crisis, the number of passengers going from Dhaka to Kolkata has dropped to one-fourth, and the number of flights has also decreased.
Kolkata International Film Festival has entered its 30th year. Cinema lovers eagerly await this popular festival every year, and this time, the excitement in the city of Kolkata is at its peak. However, for the first time in the festival's history, there are no Bangladeshi films. Due to political unrest and ongoing instability in Bangladesh, global politics has been shaken. Although an interim government led by Nobel laureate Dr. Yunus has been in power for several months, diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh have not normalized. In this context, the absence of Bangladeshi films has led many in Kolkata's Bengali community to believe that the festival's representation of Bengali cinema has diminished, and that the cultural exchange between the two Bengals, which has been a continuous tradition, has been interrupted.
A hospital in Kolkata has refused to treat Bangladeshi patients, citing alleged violence against Hindus and expressions of hostility towards India by people in Bangladesh.