Mir Afroz Zaman

A severe accommodation crisis has gripped central Kolkata’s major residential jubs following a fatal fire at the 'Shikha Inn' hotel, leaving hundreds of Bangladeshi tourists and medical patients stranded in extreme distress.

The incident unfolded on August 19, when a devastating fire broke out at Shikha Inn, located inside a five-storey building on Mirza Ghalib Street. At least nine people lost their lives—seven of whom were Bangladeshi nationals, including a four-year-old child and members of a family from Kushtia visiting India for medical treatment. While emergency services rescued 60 to 80 occupants, narrow corridors, smoke-filled rooms, and a total lack of emergency exits led to tragic suffocation deaths.

In the wake of the tragedy, administrative authorities initiated a sweeping security crackdown across key commercial belts, including New Market, Free School Street, Mirza Ghalib Street, Marquis Street, Sadar Street, and Colin Street.

The enforcement drive has led to widespread closures across the central hotel district.

At least 17 establishments were sealed within a two-day period, while The Times of India reported that the actual count of shutdown properties in the broader New Market area exceeds 52.

Formal notices were served to 25 hotels, inns, and eateries.

Authorities targeted multi-establishment properties, such as 23 Marquis Street—where several guest houses were found operating simultaneously—and 25 Marquis Street.

The building housing Shikha Inn contained multiple independent residential businesses—including Hotel Taiba, Hotel Dharitree, Maryam Hotel, Hotel Raiko Guest House, Adrika Guest House, Kamal Guest House, and Hotel Easter City—creating significant rescue obstacles and operational hazards.

Questions have also emerged surrounding establishments like 'Gulshan Lodge' on Colin Street. Situated in dense commercial zones near high-risk businesses like tire shops, these properties face growing scrutiny regarding fire engine accessibility, emergency egress, and fuel storage compliance.

Informal assessments by local hoteliers indicate that nearly 90 percent of residential units across Free School Street, Marquis Street, and Sadar Street operate without mandatory fire safety clearances. The revelation raises critical questions as to how these spaces functioned for years without detection or regulatory enforcement.

The administrative crackdown has hit Bangladeshi visitors hardest. Tens of thousands of travelers rely on the affordable lodges of the New Market area each month, particularly those staying for extended medical treatments.

With hundreds of pre-booked rooms suddenly sealed, families and vulnerable patients are forced onto the streets searching for alternative lodging at inflated prices.

Many visitors are cutting trips short and returning to Bangladesh early, while business operators warn that sealing doors alone will not resolve systemic safety oversights without full accountability from local licensing authorities.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: afroz zaman <afroz_zaman2001@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 24, 2026, 11:00 AM
Subject: Housing crisis in New Market after Shikha Inn fire, Bangladeshi tourists and relatives of patients in extreme distress
To: countrytodaybd@gmail.com <countrytodaybd@gmail.com>, mdhhossain@gmail.com <mdhhossain@gmail.com>, Hemayet Hossain <mdhhossain@yahoo.com>

Housing crisis in New Market after Shikha Inn fire, Bangladeshi tourists and relatives of patients in extreme distress

Mir Afroz Zaman
After the death of 9 people in a terrible fire at the 'Shikha Inn' hotel near New Market, Kolkata, one of the busiest residential areas of central Kolkata has been virtually paralyzed due to security operations. Hotels, guesthouses and lodges are being closed one after another across New Market, Free School Street, Mirza Ghalib Street, Marquis Street, Sadar Street and Colin Street. Bangladeshi tourists and relatives of patients who went to Kolkata for treatment are the most affected.
On August 19, at least nine people died in a fire at the Shikha Inn located in a five-story building on Mirza Ghalib Street. At least 7 of the deceased were Bangladeshis.
The horror of the fire is further compounded by the narrow structure of the building, smoke-filled rooms and lack of adequate emergency exit systems. Although about 60-80 people were rescued, some died of suffocation from smoke.
The number of hotels closed down by the administration is increasing day by day. On August 21, news of the closure of 11 hotels in the New Market area of Kolkata was published.
The next day, Indian media reported the closure of six more establishments. That is, at least 17 hotels and guesthouses were definitely closed during the two-day campaign. The same report said that 25 hotels, inns and restaurants were show-caused.
On the other hand, the Times of India reported that more than 52 hotels in the New Market area have been closed. As a result, there is information that the scope of the campaign is much more than 17.
A complaint was received that many guesthouses were operating simultaneously in a six-story building at 23 Marquis Street. Notices were issued to close them. Notices were also issued to three guesthouses at 25 Marquis Street due to security deficiencies in the same building.
Meanwhile, the building where Shikha Inn was located was home to multiple residential establishments, including Hotel Taiba, Hotel Dharitree, Maryam Hotel, Hotel Raiko Guest House, Adrika Guest House, Kamal Guest House and Hotel Easter City, according to the Times of India. In other words, this structure of operating multiple hotels within a single building has created complications in both rescue and liability during a fire.
Questions have also arisen about the 'Gulshan Lodge' on Colin Street.
Another important part of the residential area of New Market is Colin Street. This area has also been known among Bangladeshi tourists for a long time. According to local observations and complaints, new questions have also been raised about how safe the environment around the "Gulshan Lodge" on Colin Street is for foreign tourists to stay in.
It is important to examine the risk in case of a fire, especially given the dense population around the hotel, narrow traffic areas and businesses that rely on flammable materials such as a nearby tire shop. There is no official decision that the tire shop itself is illegal or the cause of the fire, but if such a business is right next to a residential hotel, the authorities should inspect the fire safety, emergency exits, fire truck access and storage of flammable materials.
The question is, when fire safety inspections of hotels are underway across the city after the Shikha Inn incident, is the combined fire risk of each hotel on Colin Street, along with the surrounding shops and buildings, also being checked?
Do 90 percent of hotels lack fire clearance?
Citing an informal assessment by hoteliers after the Shikha Inn tragedy, the Times of India reported that about 90 percent of the residential establishments on Free School Street, Marquis Street and Sadar Street are believed to lack the required fire safety clearance.
In such a situation, the question arises as to how these hotels have been running for so long? Why were the safety deficiencies not detected earlier during regular inspections? And if they have been caught, why haven't measures been taken?
The biggest humanitarian impact of the campaign is on Bangladeshi tourists. Many people who have arrived in Kolkata from Bangladesh and reached the hotel they had booked in advance are finding out that the establishment is closed on the orders of the administration. As a result, they have to find a new hotel halfway.
A section of Bangladeshi tourists are shortening their trips and returning home in panic. Some are booking return tickets in advance. Many are postponing future travel plans.
A large part of this crisis is caused by Bangladeshis seeking medical treatment. Many patients and relatives who come to Kolkata for hospital-based treatment have to stay for a few days or weeks. The low-cost hotels in the New Market area have been a place of long-term dependence for them. With so many hotels being closed at once, the cost of alternative accommodation is also increasing.
Bangladeshi businessmen doing business between the two countries say that this crisis will not be solved by simply locking up the hotels. An investigation must find out whose approval the hotels are operating in these buildings, how many years there have been no fire audits, which authority was responsible for regular inspections, and whether action was taken after irregularities were detected.