United News of Bangladesh

The bodies of six Bangladeshi nationals killed in a devastating fire at a hotel in Kolkata of West Bengal will be brought back home this (Saturday) afternoon. Five of the bodies will enter Bangladesh through the Benapole land port in Jashore, while another will be brought home through the Bhomra port in Satkhira. The bodies of journalist Debashis Dutta, his wife Afsana Sharmin, their three-year-old son Swarnashish Dutta, his father-in-law Akram Hossain and Ahmed Babu of Aminbazar in Savar will be brought home through the Benapole border, while the body of Satkhira's Alimuzzaman Saju will be brought back through the Bhomra border. All necessary legal and administrative procedures for repatriating the bodies were completed on Friday night. The bodies are expected to leave Kolkata between 1pm and 2pm Bangladesh time. Following completion of all formalities on Friday night, the bodies were kept at the morgue of Peace World in Kolkata. Meanwhile, the funerals and burials of Debashis and his family members will be conducted separately according to their respective religious traditions, in line with the family's decision. The bodies of Debashis and his son Swarnashish will be cremated at Kushtia Crematorium. Preparations have been made for the cremation around 8pm today. The bodies of Debashis's wife Afsana Sharmin and father-in-law Akram Hossain will first be taken to Debashis's residence. They will then be taken to Akram’s house in the Thanapara area of Kushtia town before being buried at Kushtia Municipal Graveyard according to Muslim rites. The burial is scheduled to take place after Esha prayers, although the timing may change depending on when the bodies arrive in Bangladesh, said Debashis's father Dilip Dutta and other relatives. Family sources said Debashis married Afsana Sharmin around nine years ago. Although they belonged to different religions, their religious differences did not stand in the way of their marriage. They had two children -- Mahima and Swarnashish. Bangladesh's Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata Md Khaled told reporters at his office on Friday afternoon that the bodies would be repatriated to Bangladesh at government expense. Meanwhile, the body of another Bangladeshi victim, Reboti Sarker of Satkhira, will reportedly remain in India at the family's request, with a relative there arranging the funeral. A total of nine people, including seven Bangladeshis and two Indians, died from suffocation after a fire broke out at Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata late Tuesday night. Autopsies of the victims were completed at Kolkata Medical College Hospital on Thursday, after which the bodies were kept at the hospital morgue. Debashis travelled to Kolkata on August 3 with his wife Afsana and their younger son Swarnashish for medical treatment. His father-in-law Akram Hossain joined them several days later.