Background: Crowds of angry Indians, most of them students, on Thursday (23 April) stormed the Hindustan International Hotel in Calcutta where the new Pakistani Deputy High Commissioner was staying. The new Deputy High Commissioner was at the hotel while making preparations to take over the Pakistan Mission in Calcutta which had been declared a Bangla Desh Mission last week by the former Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Hossain Ali, an East Pakistani. The Mission is now occupied by more than 50 east Pakistanis and flies the Bangla Desh flag.

The new Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Mahdi Masud, later checked out of the hotel after the management had reportedly asked him to leave. Reports also said that hotel workers had refused to serve Mr. Masud and had threatened to strike unless he was asked to leave. The management then put up a sign in front of the hotel declaring that he had left and the demonstrators dispersed.