Six of seven Bangladeshis killed in Kolkata hotel fire brought home

The bodies of six of the seven Bangladeshis killed in a hotel fire in Kolkata on August 19 have been repatriated to Bangladesh, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.

The body of SM Alimuzzaman of Satkhira was brought home through the Ghojadanga-Bhomra border on Saturday morning and handed over to his family.

The bodies of four members of a Kushtia family — Debashish Dutta, Afsana Sharmin, Sharnashish Dutta and Md Akram Ali — and Babu Ahmed of Aminbazar, Dhaka, were repatriated through the Petrapole-Benapole border in the afternoon.

The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata coordinated with local authorities and the victims’ families to complete the necessary formalities and assisted with the preservation, transportation and repatriation of the bodies.

The seventh victim, Repti Sarkar of Satkhira, was cremated in Kolkata on Friday night at his family’s request. The mission also provided financial and other assistance for the cremation.

The Foreign Ministry expressed deep grief and condolences to the bereaved families.