Violence hurts all religions and everyone and people have the right to follow their faith, a couple from Bangladesh who have come to Calcutta for treatment said on Friday when asked about the ongoing attacks on minorities in their country.

Several others from Bangladesh, who have come for treatment in private hospitals here, said they are worried about home and how to return if the situation worsens.

In several hospitals in the city, the number of Bangladeshi patients admitted has gone down to zero.

Md Moniruddin and his wife Mehbuba Chowdhury, residents of Mymensingh in Bangladesh, said many like them in their country have Hindu friends and help each other in times of need. Half his school friends who go for morning walks together are Hindus, said Moniruddin, now retired.

“I have studied at Mrityunjoy High School in Mymensingh. I left school in 1977. Ours is a group of 30 friends and 15 of them are Hindus. We meet every day in the park in our neighbourhood and chat,” said Moniruddin, who has come to the RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences in Mukundapur for treatment.

“We visit each other’s house and have food together. If our friends are attacked, how can we feel safe?” Mehbuba asked. “The battle should be between truth and false, not between Hindus and Muslims,” she said.

Their elder son, who worked for a mobile phone company, has started a business and operates four trucks. Two of those trucks were ransacked and looted earlier this month. “We are very worried,” said Mebuba.

They are worried about returning home. “We came by road. We are now hearing that bus services to Bangladesh from India have been suspended. If we are to fly back, we have to go through Dhaka, which is rocked by unrest,” Moniruddin said.

Jammatul Ferdaus Rajat, a resident of Narayanganj near Dhaka, has come with three friends for treatment at the RN Tagore hospital.

Rajat, an activist of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) who was arrested during Sheikh Hasina’s reign, spoke out against the attack on minorities.

“In our area, 27 Durga pujas are organised. Like every year, this year, too,
participated in the puja and celebrated the occasion with our Hindu friends,” said Rajat.

He, too, is worried about returning home by road.

Rokeya Begum underwent an open-heart surgery at the RN Tagore hospital three days back. Her son Md Rifat Hosen said they wanted to return home to Faridpur as early as possible but were “helpless”.

“My mother needs to stay at the hospital at least for another week. We can travel only after the doctor approves,” Rifat said.

He said the ongoing problem of getting an Indian visa was another cause of worry for them.

“Now, many people who want to come to India are being denied visas. I am worried about what will happen when my mother needs to come back to the RN Tagore hospital for a check-up,” said Rifat.

“Also, there are many medicines which are not available in Bangladesh. We need to come to Calcutta with the prescription to buy those. Now that would prove difficult,” said Rifat.

Bangladesh accounts for a large chunk of patients at most private hospitals in Calcutta. Officials at several hospitals said not one patient from across the border is admitted now.

Peerless Hospital has had no inpatient from Bangladesh for the last two days.

“We usually have 25 to 30 Bangladeshi patients admitted. Now we have none,” said Sudipta Mitra, chief executive of Peerless Hospital. He said the number of patients in the OPD is a third of the usual count.

Ruby General Hospital, too, has no Bangladeshi patients admitted. “No patient from Bangladesh has been admitted in the last three days. Earlier, three to four such patients would be admitted daily on average,” said Subhasis Datta, chief general manager, Ruby General Hospital.

The RN Tagore hospital has only two Bangladeshi inpatients now. “Usually, the number would be around 20. In the OPD, too, there is a significant drop in the number of Bangladeshi patients,” said R. Venkatesh, group COO, Narayana Health, which runs the RN Tagore hospital.