After hospital, Tripura hotels now deny services to Bangladeshi citizens
What's the story
The All Tripura Hotel and Restaurant Owners's Association (ATHROA) has announced a ban on serving Bangladeshi citizens.
The decision was taken in light of the increasing persecution of Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh.
Bhaskar Chakraborty, Office Secretary of ATHROA, confirmed that the resolution was passed on December 2 and was implemented immediately.
Ban rationale
Disrespect toward Indian flag, key reason for ban
Chakraborty cited disrespect toward the Indian national flag in Bangladesh as a primary reason behind their decision.
He also highlighted an incident involving the Bangladesh High Commission, which greatly influenced this resolution.
The wheels were set in motion when a former ISKCON member, Chinmoy Krishna Das, was arrested on charges of sedition. He was sent to jail, and his bail was denied for allegedly disrespecting the Bangladesh flag.
Prior developments
Hospitals stop treating Bangladeshi nationals
Earlier, two leading hospitals in India had decided to stop admitting new patients from Bangladesh.
Kolkata's JN Ray Hospital was the first to announce the decision, with ILS Hospitals in Agartala soon following suit.
The ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh has also affected medical tourism to India.
A senior representative from Narayana Health observed a sharp decline in Bangladeshi patients owing to visa issues and political instability, claiming that the numbers had gone down from 180-200 to 60.