Victim of Kolkata hotel fire laid to rest in Savar as family appeals for government support
Photo Collected
The body of Ahmed Babu, a 37-year-old businessman from Savar who perished in a deadly hotel fire in Kolkata, India, was laid to rest at the Aminbazar Borodeshi Graveyard on Sunday morning. Babu was among nine people, including seven Bangladeshis, who died after a massive blaze engulfed a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street near Kolkata’s New Market late Tuesday night.
Babu, a resident of Begunbari in the Aminbazar Union, had traveled to Kolkata on Monday to procure merchandise for his cosmetics shop located at the Shahin Supermarket in Aminbazar. Following legal procedures in India, his remains were repatriated through the Benapole border on Saturday evening and reached Savar by 3:00 a.m. Sunday.
Family members held funeral prayers at the Hijla Panch Mosque grounds at 9:15 a.m. before proceeding to the burial. The scene at the Haji Bari Mosque earlier that morning was marked by profound grief, as friends, family, and local residents gathered to pay their final respects.
Babu leaves behind his wife, Gulshanara, and two young children, eight-year-old Elina Hasan Roja and five-year-old Sowat. His daughter, Elina, was seen weeping near the ambulance carrying her father’s body, recalling how he would always bring her chocolates and snacks upon his return from India.
Gulshanara expressed deep anxiety regarding the future of her children, now left fatherless. She appealed to the government for financial support and requested assistance in securing employment commensurate with her education, noting that she has no other means to provide for her family following her husband’s untimely death.
Babu’s elder brother, Mohammad Ali, echoed these sentiments, demanding justice for the victims and calling on the authorities to support the bereaved family. Friends of the deceased, including his associate Mohammad Ibrahim, expressed shock over the tragedy, noting that Babu had frequently traveled to Kolkata for business and had stayed at similar hotels in the past. They urged a thorough investigation into the fire to hold those responsible accountable for the loss of life.
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