Celebrations erupted in Kolkata as Bangladeshis in the city reacted to the news of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. According to a Times of India report, some Bangladeshi tourists took to the streets, holding a victory procession on Free School Street-Marquis Street. They displayed victory signs and banners commemorating ‘martyrs’ killed during the quota protests.
Bangladeshi refugees in Kolkata were seen taking pictures, making videos, hugging each other, and congratulating one another, proclaiming that Bangladesh is now independent. The celebrations, however, caused traffic disruptions, prompting police to disperse the crowd.
“We are very much relieved after hearing the news of the PM’s resignation and the army chief promising an interim government and meeting the demands of the protesters. So many people have given up their lives in these protests,” said Mohammad Sharfuddin Sayem, a student from Chittagong. “I was supposed to return today, but all buses got canceled,” he added.
Mohammad Jamir Shopon, a tourist from Dhaka, shared his sentiments: “When the news of a press conference by the army chief came in, we knew there was some good news awaiting us.”
Many Bangladeshis have settled in Kolkata since Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971. At that time, they sought refuge in India, particularly in West Bengal, forming a significant community of Bangladeshis in Kolkata.
