Kolkata hotel fire: One body arrives, five more to arrive through Benapole

The process of bringing back the bodies of six Bangladeshis killed in a hotel fire in Kolkata is ongoing. On Saturday, August 22, family members of S M Alimuzzaman, a resident of Satkhira, arrived in Bangladesh with his body. Meanwhile, the bodies of Kushtia journalist Debashish Dutta and four of his family members, along with the body of Jubayer Babu from Savar, have been taken from Kolkata to the Benapole border by their families.

Early this morning, family members left P.C. World in Park Circus, Kolkata, with the body of S M Alimuzzaman for Bangladesh. After departing around 6am Indian time, they completed necessary border formalities and entered Bangladesh by 10am.

The body of Rebati Sarkar, another Satkhira resident who died in the fire, was cremated at the historic Nimtala crematorium in Kolkata late on Friday, August 21, following the family's wishes.

Meanwhile, at 12:27pm on Saturday, the bodies of five more victims left P.C. World for Bangladesh. They are: Kushtia journalist Debashish Dutta, his family members Akram Ali (74), Afsana Sharmin (27), Swarnashish Dutta (2), and Jubayer Babu (37) from Savar.

Family members said the bodies are expected to reach Bangladesh through Benapole between 3:30pm and 4:30pm today, if everything goes smoothly.

Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, Md Khaled, along with First Secretary (Consular) Md Jillur Rahman, Second Secretary (Political) Omar Faruk Akond, and other officials of the Deputy High Commission, were present at P.C. World when the families left for Bangladesh.

It may be mentioned that a devastating fire at Shikha Inn Hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata's New Market area on August 19 killed nine people, including seven Bangladeshis. Authorities on both sides are continuing the necessary procedures to repatriate the bodies of the deceased Bangladeshis.