Hotel owners in Siliguri, India, have announced they will no longer rent rooms to Bangladeshi citizens. The decision was confirmed by the Greater Siliguri Hotel Business Welfare Association, which stated that the move was taken in the interest of the country. The association acknowledged that the decision could cause some financial loss to local hotel owners. The report was carried by The Telegraph India. Ujjal Ghosh, joint secretary of the association, said the group had made a similar decision in December of the previous year, though at that time exceptions were made for Bangladeshi students and patients. The new directive removes all such exemptions. Ghosh cited alleged violence and anti-India statements in Bangladesh as reasons for the stricter stance. The association represents 180 hotels in Siliguri, all of which are expected to comply with the ban. The report also noted that the local visa office had been closed earlier following protests by the Vishva Hindu Parishad. Many Bangladeshis travel to Siliguri each year for education, tourism, and medical treatment.