In a shocking incident, four students of Calcutta University were allegedly beaten up near Sealdah station in north Kolkata after being branded as Bangladeshis by a group of Hindi-speaking traders.
The clash reportedly began when one student from Carmichael Hostel visited a mobile accessories shop under the Sealdah Bridge on Wednesday night to buy a phone cover. A dispute broke out during bargaining, after which the vendor allegedly abused the student for speaking Bengali and insisted he converse in Hindi.
The student later returned with three classmates, which led to a heated altercation. Witnesses said several traders from the area joined in, accused the students of being Bangladeshis, and assaulted them. One of the students alleged that his phone was snatched and that a knife was also used to threaten them.
The injured students were taken to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital for treatment and later lodged a complaint at Muchipara Police Station. Police confirmed that an FIR has been registered and the matter is under investigation, though no arrests have been made so far.
The incident has sparked outrage, particularly since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has frequently raised concerns about harassment of Bengali workers outside West Bengal. What has shocked many is that similar attacks are now being reported within the state itself. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

Students attacked in Kolkata for speaking Bengali

Traders beat up Calcutta Uni students, branded them Bangladeshis near Sealdah station

Students attacked in Kolkata for speaking Bengali

Traders beat up Calcutta Uni students, branded them Bangladeshis near Sealdah station

August 21, 2025 | 14:30 IST