In the quiet neighbourhood of Begun Bari, located near the bus stand in Amin Bazar, the laughter that once filled Ahmed Babu’s home has been replaced by an unbearable silence.
Ahmed Babu, a 38-year-old father of two and owner of “Cute Cosmetics” at Shahin Super Market, was a man whose life was defined by his devotion to his family and a spirited passion for football.
Babu was one of five Bangladeshi nationals killed in a devastating fire at a residential hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata, near New Market, early Wednesday morning. The tragedy was sparked by an air conditioner (AC) explosion around 2am, claiming nine lives in total.
Although the fire service station was nearby and brought the blaze under control within an hour, Babu and eight others succumbed to the fire.
Before departing for his five-day holiday last Sunday, Babu – the youngest of four brothers and an SSC graduate of Amin Bazar Mofid-e-Am High School – held his 80-year-old mother, Sabera Begum, in a long embrace, asking for her prayers.
Having lost his father several years ago, Babu was deeply cherished by his elder brothers, who had always fulfilled his every wish. His mother had prayed for his safe return to her arms, never imagining that this would be their final goodbye.
Just two hours before the fatal explosion, Babu’s voice filled his home one last time during a midnight phone call.
He spoke with his elder brothers, Mohammad Ali and Monir Hossain, his wife Bubly Akter – who hails from Dinajpur – and his mother, excitedly sharing details of the shopping he had done, including gifts for his mother and children.
He had been looking forward to returning home this Friday night.
Babu’s dreams were deeply rooted in his children’s future; he had been looking forward to enrolling his five-year-old son, Suad, in school next year. A devoted supporter of the Argentina national team, his enthusiasm for the game was a defining part of his vibrant personality.
Now, that vibrancy is gone, leaving his wife in a state of recurring collapse as she struggles to process the loss.
While their 12-year-old daughter, Roja, a student at Mirpur Cantonment Public School, faces a future without her father, young Suad runs through the rooms of their home, still unaware of the tragedy.
Amidst the mourning at their house beside the Begun Bari Boro Masjid, his elderly mother’s voice breaks as she repeatedly pleads with the government to bring her son’s body back to Bangladesh.
