Bodies of five Bangladeshis killed in Kolkata hotel fire to return home today

The bodies of five Bangladeshis killed in a devastating fire at a hotel in Kolkata are expected to return home today (August 22).

Following the completion of diplomatic formalities between the two countries, the bodies are scheduled to enter Bangladesh through the Petrapole-Benapole border around noon on Saturday (August 22).

Relatives of the victims are already waiting in Benapole with ambulances to receive the bodies.

Nine people were killed in a massive fire that broke out in the early hours of August 19 at a residential hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata’s New Market area. Seven of the victims were Bangladeshi nationals.

The bodies of five of them are being brought back through Benapole port. They are Kustia Sadar-based journalist Debashish Dutta, his wife Afsana Sharmin, their three-year-old son Swarnashish Dutta, Afsana’s father Akram Ali, and Savar-based businessman Zubayer Babu.

The post-mortems of the deceased Bangladeshis have already been completed. Following the necessary legal and administrative procedures in both countries, the process of repatriating the bodies is now nearing completion.

Savar businessman Zubayer Babu had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment two days before the fire. He was also killed in the blaze at the residential hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street. His elder brother, Mohammad Ali, has arrived in Benapole with an ambulance to receive his body.

He said he had arrived in Benapole yesterday afternoon to collect his brother’s body. Although it was expected to arrive through the Jessore-Benapole land port after Friday evening, the handover was delayed due to clearance complications.

He had initially been told the body would arrive early Saturday morning, but now expects to receive it around noon.

Meanwhile, Debashish’s brother-in-law Firoz Hasan is in Kolkata to facilitate the return of the bodies of Debashish and three members of his family. Debashish’s relatives in Kolkata, Sanjay Ghosh and Kanchan Nandi, the brother of his brother-in-law, are also assisting with the repatriation process. Senior journalists and relatives from Kustia are waiting at Benapole port to receive the bodies.

According to the family, the bodies of Debashish Dutta and his son Swarnashish Dutta will be cremated according to Hindu religious rites.

The bodies of Afsana Sharmin and her father Akram Ali will be buried.
Debashish married Afsana nine years ago after falling in love with her. Despite their different religious backgrounds, their marriage was never an obstacle to their family life.

The couple are survived by their 10-year-old daughter.

Meanwhile, the body of another Bangladeshi victim, SM Alimuzzaman of Satkhira, will return to Bangladesh through the Bhomra border. The body of another Bangladeshi victim, Reboti Sarkar, will be cremated in India according to the family’s wishes.

Benapole Checkpost Immigration Officer-in-Charge Ferdous Hossain said the relevant authorities are preparing at the Benapole border to receive the bodies and complete the necessary formalities. Once they arrive in Bangladesh, the bodies will be handed over to the relatives after completion of the legal procedures.

However, the OC said the authorities have yet to confirm the exact time when the vehicles carrying the bodies will arrive in Benapole.