Five Bangladeshis among nine dead in deadly Kolkata hotel fire
Photo Collected
A Bangladeshi businessman from Savar, identified as 37-year-old Ahmed Babu, was among five Bangladeshi nationals killed in a devastating fire at a residential hotel in Kolkata, India. Babu, a resident of the Begunbari area in Aminbazar Union, had traveled to Kolkata on Monday to purchase cosmetic supplies for his shop at the Shaheen Super Market.
The tragedy was confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka, which stated that it had received reports of Bangladeshi casualties. According to local Indian authorities, the fire claimed a total of nine lives, with five victims confirmed to be Bangladeshi citizens. Six other Bangladeshi nationals who sustained injuries were treated and subsequently released from the hospital.
Friends and family gathered at Babu’s residence in Savar on Wednesday afternoon, struggling to process the news of his death. Babu is survived by his wife, Gulshanara Bubli, and two children, eight-year-old Elena Hasan Roja and five-year-old Sowat. Family members were reportedly hesitant to break the news of the fatality to his wife, who was out of the house for work at the time, fearing she would be unable to bear the shock.
Colleagues described Babu as a diligent and friendly businessman who frequently traveled to India to source inventory for his shop. His friend, Mohammad Imran, recounted that they last spoke on Tuesday night before communication ceased. The victim’s identity was confirmed after the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata contacted his associates, seeking verification through photographs of the deceased.
Imran noted that, based on the images provided by authorities, it appeared the victims may have succumbed to smoke inhalation during the blaze. Officials from the Deputy High Commission were deployed to the scene immediately following the reports to coordinate with local authorities and assist the affected families. The identity of the four other deceased Bangladeshi victims and the remaining four non-Bangladeshi casualties have yet to be disclosed by the relevant authorities.
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