Kolkata hotel fire: Ajker Patrika's correspondent dies along with wife, children, father-in-law

A late-night fire at a residential hotel in Kolkata, West Bengal, killed nine people, six of whom have been identified so far, according to reports from family and local administration. Five of the identified victims are Bangladeshis, including Kushtia journalist Debashish Dutta, his wife, son and father-in-law. The bodies were recovered and taken to a medical college hospital.

Family sources confirmed that the deceased Bangladeshis include Daily Ajker Patrika Kushtia correspondent Debashish Dutta, 39, his wife Afsana Sharmin, 27, their three-year-old son Swarnashish Dutta, and Debashish’s father-in-law Md Akram Ali, 64.

The other Bangladeshi victim was identified as Ahmed Babu, 40, of Begunbari in the Aminbazar area of Savar, Dhaka. His father’s name is Adam Ali.

Local authorities also confirmed the identity of Sandeep Paswan, a resident of Giridih district in Jharkhand, India.

Authorities have not yet identified the remaining three victims.

Ajker Patrika expressed deep grief over the deaths of Debashish Dutta and his family.

Gazi Mahbub Rahman, former president of Kushtia Press Club and editor of the local daily Ajker Alo, said Debashish Dutta had been serving as executive editor of Ajker Alo. He was also the Kushtia correspondent for Channel 9 and Daily Ajker Patrika.

Debashish Dutta was the son of Dilip Dutta of the Razarhat area in Aruapara, Kushtia town. His father-in-law Akram Ali was from the Thanapara area of the town.

Family sources said Debashish travelled to India with his family on 3 August for treatment for his ailing wife, Afsana Sharmin. The family first received treatment in Bengaluru. After 13 days of treatment, they returned to Kolkata on Tuesday, 18 August. While preparing to return to Bangladesh, four members of the family died in the devastating fire at a residential hotel in Kolkata.

Touhidi Hasan, a friend of Debashish Dutta and a journalist who was at his home in Kushtia, said they rushed there after learning of his death. Touhidi Hasan said family members were nearly inconsolable with grief, and it was not possible to speak to some of the relatives.

Debashish Dutta is also survived by an eight-year-old daughter, as well as his parents.