Bodies of 6 Bangladeshis arrive home, one cremated in India

The bodies of six of the seven Bangladeshi nationals killed in a hotel fire in Kolkata on August 19 arrived in the country on Saturday, August 22. The body of the seventh victim was cremated in Kolkata as per the family's wishes.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the information in a press release on Saturday.

The release said the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata had been closely coordinating with local authorities and the families of the deceased since the incident, providing all possible assistance in completing formalities and repatriating the bodies. After local authorities completed the necessary formalities, the bodies were handed over to the families on Friday night.

Among the seven deceased, the body of S M Alimuzzaman of Satkhira was repatriated through the Ghodadanga-Bhomra border on Saturday morning and handed over to his family.

The bodies of four members of the same family from Kushtia; journalist Debashish Dutta, Afsana Sharmin, Sharnashish Dutta and Md Akram Ali, were brought to the country through the Petrapole-Benapole border on Saturday afternoon. The body of Babu Ahmed from Dhaka's Aminbazar was also brought through the same border crossing.

The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata provided necessary assistance to the families throughout the process of preservation, transport and repatriation of the bodies.

The body of Rebati Sarkar of Satkhira was cremated in Kolkata on Friday night as per the family's wishes. The Deputy High Commission provided financial and all other necessary support in this regard as well.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families of the victims.