Bodies of Bangladeshis Killed in Kolkata Fire to Be Repatriated Soon

The bodies of Bangladeshi nationals who died in a devastating hotel fire in Kolkata will be brought back to Bangladesh as soon as the identification process and other formalities are completed, Foreign Affairs State Minister Shama Obaid said on Wednesday (August 19).

Speaking to reporters at the Foreign Ministry, she said the Bangladesh mission in Kolkata is working to complete the necessary procedures and facilitate the repatriation of the bodies at the earliest possible time.

She also said that if the families of the deceased are unable to bear the cost of bringing the bodies home, the government will cover the expenses.

The fire broke out late Tuesday (August 18) at a hotel in Kolkata’s New Market area, killing nine people, including eight Bangladeshis. So far, the identities of five Bangladeshi victims have been confirmed.

The identified victims include Kushtia journalist Debashis Dutta, his wife Afsana Shimmin, their two-year-old son Sharnashish Dutta, his father-in-law Akram Ali and Ahmed Babu from Savar, Dhaka.

Following the incident, authorities ordered the hotel to remain closed indefinitely and announced inspections of fire safety measures at hotels and other commercial establishments across Kolkata.