Families Await Repatriation of Seven Bangladeshi Victims Following Deadly Kolkata Hotel Fire
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The families of Bangladeshi citizens killed in a deadly fire at a hotel in Kolkata are awaiting the repatriation of their remains as diplomatic officials work to clear administrative hurdles. The fire at the Shikha Inn residential hotel near the New Market area claimed nine lives, seven of whom were from Bangladesh.
Among the deceased are S.M. Alimuzzaman Saju and Rebati Sarkar, both hailing from the Kaliganj Upazila of Satkhira district. Saju had traveled to India for a medical check-up when the fire broke out on Wednesday evening. His elder brother, Saheb Sardar, is currently waiting at their family home in Baria village, awaiting news on the arrival of the body. Friends and neighbors have gathered at the residence to offer condolences as the family maintains contact with the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.
Omar Faruq Akand, an official at the Deputy High Commission, stated that while efforts are underway to repatriate the bodies as quickly as possible, the process is contingent upon obtaining necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). Officials are currently awaiting a police report from the local station to finalize the paperwork. While a high-level meeting on Thursday initially aimed for a Saturday repatriation, the timeline remains subject to these legal clearances.
The situation remains complex for some families, such as that of Rebati Sarkar, whose family home in Tetulia village remains locked. Her husband is in Dhaka, and her children are currently in India. Neighbors report that Sarkar’s son, Anik, is traveling to Kolkata from Uttarakhand to identify his mother’s remains. The Deputy High Commission has confirmed that the family has the option to conduct funeral rites in India if they prefer to avoid the logistical challenges of transporting the remains back to Bangladesh.
Diplomatic officials have also assured that they will issue special travel permits for any affected Bangladeshis whose passports were destroyed in the blaze. The tragic incident, which also claimed the lives of four individuals from Kushtia and one from Savar, saw the two Indian victims, Sandeep Paswan and Jog Narayan Agarwal, identified and their remains handed over to their respective families on Thursday. As the families wait, friends of the victims, including Saju’s childhood classmate Rafiqul Islam, have pleaded for urgent action to ensure the prompt return of the bodies to their home soil.
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