Orphaned survivor of Kolkata hotel fire mourns family as school pledges full educational support
Photo Collected
Seven-year-old Mahima Datta remains unaware that her parents and younger brother were among the nine people killed in a devastating hotel fire in Kolkata earlier this week. The young girl, who occasionally joins other children in play between moments of quiet sorrow, continues to await the return of her father, journalist Debashish Datta, who had promised to bring her gifts from India.
The fire, which broke out Tuesday night at a hotel near Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata, claimed the lives of Debashish Datta, his wife Afsana Sharmin, their three-year-old son Shornoshish Datta, and their relative Akram Hossain. The family, who hailed from Kushtia, was scheduled to return to Bangladesh on Wednesday.
In the wake of the tragedy, local officials and the community have rallied to support the grieving family. Authorities at the school where Mahima is a kindergarten student announced on Thursday that the institution will cover the full cost of her education through the higher secondary level. Additionally, Kushtia-3 Member of Parliament Amir Hamza and local political leaders have pledged to assist the family and ensure the young survivor’s future needs are met.
Kanchon Nandi, a relative of the victims who is currently in Kolkata assisting with the repatriation process, stated that the autopsy procedures were delayed due to ongoing documentation requirements at the local police station. Mohammad Omar Faruq Akand, second secretary (political) at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, confirmed that diplomatic formalities are prepared, but the release of the bodies remains contingent upon local police authorization. The mission expects to facilitate the repatriation of the remains by late Thursday afternoon.
The victims were part of a group of nine fatalities identified in the blaze, including seven Bangladeshi nationals. Aside from the four Kushtia residents, the others identified were Rebati Sarkar and Alimuzzaman Saju from Satkhira’s Kaliganj upazila, and businessman Ahmed Babu from Savar, Dhaka.
Debashish Datta had traveled to India on August 3 to seek medical treatment for his wife, Afsana Sharmin. After spending 13 days in Bengaluru, the family arrived in Kolkata on Monday and had spent Tuesday shopping for relatives before the fatal fire occurred. At their family home in Kushtia, Debashish’s mother, Swapna Datta, remains inconsolable as she continues to ask relatives when her son will return home.
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