The bodies of journalist Debashish Dutta, his wife, their young son and his father-in-law, who were killed in a hotel fire in Kolkata, are expected to reach Kushtia on Friday.
Debashish’s relative Firoz Hasan Mithu confirmed the development from Kolkata on Thursday, saying arrangements were underway to repatriate the bodies to Bangladesh.
The bodies are expected to arrive in Kushtia around noon after the completion of legal formalities, he said.
Debashish, 37, his wife Afsana Sharmin, 25, their three-and-a-half-year-old son Shornoshish Dutta, and Afsana’s father, Mohammad Akram Ali, 64, died in a fire that broke out early Wednesday at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata’s New Market area.
The family has decided to conduct the final rites of the four victims according to their respective religious traditions.
Debashish and Shornoshish will be cremated according to Hindu rites at Kushtia Mahashmashan, where a site has already been designated.
Afsana and her father, Akram Ali, will be buried according to Islamic rites at the Kushtia Municipal Graveyard.
Debashish was the acting editor of Dainik Ajker Alo, a newspaper published in Kushtia.
He also served as the Kushtia district correspondent for Ajker Patrika and Channel 9, and as joint general secretary of the Kushtia Press Club.
According to family members, Debashish and Afsana got married about 11 years ago. They had a daughter, Mahima Dutta, also known as Pakhi, 8, and a son, Shornoshish.
Mahima had remained in Kushtia with her grandparents while Debashish travelled to India on 3 August with his wife, son and father-in-law for medical treatment.
After arriving in Kolkata, the family checked into a hotel. A fire broke out there early Wednesday, killing all four.
The tragedy has left Debashish’s parents devastated.
His father, Dilip Dutta, broke down while speaking to relatives about the loss of his son, daughter-in-law and grandson.
His mother, Swapna Dutta, has also been inconsolable since her son’s death and reportedly fainted repeatedly while mourning.
The deaths have cast a pall of grief over Kushtia, particularly among members of the local journalist community.
