United News of Bangladesh

The bodies of six Bangladeshi nationals killed in a devastating fire at a hotel in Kolkata of West Bengal will be brought back home this (Saturday) afternoon. Five of the bodies will enter Bangladesh through the Benapole land port in Jashore, while another will be brought home through the Bhomra port in Satkhira. The bodies of journalist Debashis Dutta, his wife Afsana Sharmin, their three-year-old son Swarnashish Dutta, his father-in-law Akram Hossain and Ahmed Babu of Aminbazar in Savar will be brought home through the Benapole border, while the body of Satkhira's Alimuzzaman Saju will be brought back through the Bhomra border. All necessary legal and administrative procedures for repatriating the bodies were completed on Friday night. The bodies are expected to leave Kolkata between 1pm and 2pm Bangladesh time. Following completion of all formalities on Friday night, the bodies were kept at the morgue of Peace World in Kolkata. Meanwhile, the funerals and burials of Debashis and his family members will be conducted separately according to their respective religious traditions, in line with the family's decision. The bodies of Debashis and his son Swarnashish will be cremated at Kushtia Crematorium. Preparations have been made for the cremation around 8pm today. The bodies of Debashis's wife Afsana Sharmin and father-in-law Akram Hossain will first be taken to Debashis's residence. They will then be taken to Akram’s house in the Thanapara area of Kushtia town before being buried at Kushtia Municipal Graveyard according to Muslim rites. The burial is scheduled to take place after Esha prayers, although the timing may change depending on when the bodies arrive in Bangladesh, said Debashis's father Dilip Dutta and other relatives. Family sources said Debashis married Afsana Sharmin around nine years ago. Although they belonged to different religions, their religious differences did not stand in the way of their marriage. They had two children -- Mahima and Swarnashish. Bangladesh's Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata Md Khaled told reporters at his office on Friday afternoon that the bodies would be repatriated to Bangladesh at government expense. Meanwhile, the body of another Bangladeshi victim, Reboti Sarker of Satkhira, will reportedly remain in India at the family's request, with a relative there arranging the funeral. A total of nine people, including seven Bangladeshis and two Indians, died from suffocation after a fire broke out at Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata late Tuesday night. Autopsies of the victims were completed at Kolkata Medical College Hospital on Thursday, after which the bodies were kept at the hospital morgue. Debashis travelled to Kolkata on August 3 with his wife Afsana and their younger son Swarnashish for medical treatment. His father-in-law Akram Hossain joined them several days later.

Seven Bangladeshi nationals were killed in the fire that broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, India early Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said on Thursday. The fire broke out at a hotel on Free School Street near New Market, one of Kolkata’s busiest and most densely populated areas. On Wednesday, the ministry confirmed five deaths citing local authorities. “According to local authorities, nine people have so far died in the fire. Police have confirmed the identities of five of them as Bangladeshi nationals,” the ministry said in a media release. Four of the Bangladeshi victims were members of the same family, it said, adding that local authorities have yet to confirm the identities of the remaining victims. Meanwhile, six Bangladeshi nationals injured in the fire have been released from hospital after receiving primary treatment. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Wednesday said the government will bring back the bodies of five Bangladeshi nationals killed in a hotel fire in Kolkata as soon as possible after completion of the identification and other necessary formalities. UNB Satkhira correspondent reports: two residents of Kaliganj upazila in Satkhira were among those killed in the devastating fire. The deceased were Alimuzzaman Saju, son of late Yunus Ali of Bareya village and Rebati Sarkar, wife of Bhavesh Sarkar of Tentulia village, both under Tarali Union of Kaliganj upazila. News of their deaths reached the area around 10pm on Wednesday, sending shockwaves through the two families and the local community. Kaliganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Milon Saha told UNB over the phone that he had learned that two of those killed in the Kolkata fire were residents of Kaliganj.“Efforts are underway at the higher government level to bring the bodies back to the country as soon as possible,” he said. Saju, who had shrimp enclosure business, travelled to India five to six days ago for treatment of back pain and was scheduled to return home on Wednesday, according to his brother. Rebati travelled to India about three months ago for medical treatment and returned home after seeing a doctor, said her family. She had gone to Kolkata again for a follow-up consultation when she died in the hotel fire. The families have demanded that the bodies be repatriated to Bangladesh as soon as possible. “We have already contacted our Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and the family members of those who were killed. Once the identification and other formalities are completed, we can bring these bodies back to Bangladesh as soon as possible,” State Minister Shama Obaed told reporters on Wednesday, adding that the Bangladesh mission in Kolkata is working on the matter. Responding to a question, the State Minister said the government would consider bearing the repatriation expenses if the families of the victims are unable to afford them. Officials of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close contact with hospitals and local police to provide necessary assistance to the Bangladeshi nationals affected by the incident, said the ministry. The mission has also opened a round-the-clock helpline to assist Bangladeshi nationals and their families. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka and the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close coordination with the relevant Indian authorities and monitoring developments concerning the Bangladeshi victims. A Bangladeshi journalist and three members of his family were among those killed in the fire. The deceased were identified as Debashis Dutta, 40, Kushtia correspondent for Ajker Patrika and Channel Nine; his wife, Afsana Simmin, 25; their three-year-old daughter, Swarna Shish Dutta; and his father-in-law, Akram Ali, 64. According to family sources, Dutta had travelled to Kolkata with his ailing wife for medical treatment. He is survived by another daughter, aged eight, as well as his parents. Besides, 38-year-old Ahmed Babu, a cosmetics businessman from Savar, was among those killed in the blaze.

Five Bangladeshi nationals were among nine people killed in a fire that broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, India, early Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, citing local authorities. “According to local authorities, nine people have so far died in the fire. Police have confirmed the identities of five of them as Bangladeshi nationals,” the ministry said in a media release. Four of the Bangladeshi victims were members of the same family, it said, adding that local authorities have yet to confirm the identities of the remaining victims. Meanwhile, six Bangladeshi nationals injured in the fire have been released from hospital after receiving primary treatment. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam  said the government will bring back the bodies of five Bangladeshi nationals killed in a hotel fire in Kolkata as soon as possible after completion of the identification and other necessary formalities. “We have already contacted our Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and the family members of those who were killed. Once the identification and other formalities are completed, we can bring these bodies back to Bangladesh as soon as possible,” she told reporters, adding that the Bangladesh mission in Kolkata is working on the matter. Responding to a question, the State Minister said the government would consider bearing the repatriation expenses if the families of the victims are unable to afford them. Officials of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close contact with hospitals and local police to provide necessary assistance to the Bangladeshi nationals affected by the incident, said the ministry. The mission has also opened a round-the-clock helpline to assist Bangladeshi nationals and their families. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka and the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close coordination with the relevant Indian authorities and monitoring developments concerning the Bangladeshi victims. A Bangladeshi journalist and three members of his family were among those killed in the fire, UNB’s Kushtia correspondent reports. The deceased were identified as Debashis Dutta, 40, Kushtia correspondent for Ajker Patrika and Channel Nine; his wife, Afsana Simmin, 25; their three-year-old daughter, Swarna Shish Dutta; and his father-in-law, Akram Ali, 64. According to family sources, Dutta had travelled to Kolkata with his ailing wife for medical treatment. He is survived by another daughter, aged eight, as well as his parents. Dutta’s family home is in the Arouapara Rajarhat area of Kushtia town, while his father-in-law, Akram Ali, was from the Thanapara area. Gazi Mahbub Rahman, former president of the Kushtia Press Club and editor of the local newspaper Ajker Alo, said Dutta was serving as the newspaper’s executive editor. He was also working as Kushtia correspondent for Ajker Patrika and Channel Nine. According to Indian news agency ANI, the Bangladeshi nationals had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment, citing the fire service department. The fire broke out at around 2:00 am at a hotel on Free School Street near New Market, one of Kolkata’s busiest and most densely populated areas. Four fire tenders were rushed to the scene after the blaze was reported, while a disaster management team also joined the rescue operation. Firefighters worked to evacuate guests trapped inside the building before bringing the blaze under control. A cooling operation was underway after the flames were doused. “The dense smoke made it difficult for firefighters to climb the staircase and reach the upper floors. While nine people have died, more deaths are feared,” a police officer told PTI. “Our priority is to rescue those trapped and determine the cause of the fire. The flames have been doused, and the cooling process is underway,” the officer said. Initial reports suggested that the fire may have been triggered by an air-conditioner explosion, although the exact cause had not yet been confirmed.