Kolkata fire: Journalist Debashish and son cremated, wife and father-in-law buried

Journalist Debashish Dutta and his three-year-old son, Swarnashish Dutta, who were killed in a devastating fire at a residential hotel in Kolkata, were cremated side by side early today (23 August).

Their final rites were performed at around 3am at the Mahashamshan in Millpara, Kushtia.

Debashish's wife, Afsana Sharmin, and her father, Md Akram Ali, who also died in the fire, were buried side by side at the Kushtia Municipal Graveyard following Muslim funeral rites.

The bodies of the four family members entered Bangladesh through the Benapole International Checkpost at around 5pm on Saturday after the completion of necessary legal procedures. Debashish's colleagues broke down in tears when they saw his coffin at the border. Relatives and fellow journalists then left for Kushtia with the bodies at around 6pm.

Thousands of people, including journalists, gathered outside his home in Aruapara to pay their final respects. The bodies arrived in two ambulances at around 10pm, leaving family members, colleagues and well-wishers in tears.

According to family members, Debashish was Hindu, while Afsana was born into a Muslim family. Neither changed religion after their marriage, and both continued to practise their respective faiths.

Debashish's father, Dilip Kumar Dutta, said his daughter-in-law had told her mother during her lifetime that she wanted to be buried according to Muslim rites after her death.

Afsana's mother said her daughter's wish was honoured. After a namaz-e-janaza at Kushtia Model Mosque at around 2:30am, Afsana and her father, Akram Ali, were buried in adjacent graves at the cemetery.

Debashish was a familiar face in Kushtia's journalist community. He served as joint general secretary of Kushtia Press Club and acting editor of the local daily Ajker Alo. He also worked as Kushtia district correspondent for Channel Nine and Ajker Patrika.

Family's final journey

Seeking medical treatment, Debashish travelled to Bengaluru with his family on 3 August, leaving their seven-year-old daughter, Mahima, in Bangladesh with her grandparents.

Akram Ali had travelled to Kolkata on 6 August for the treatment of another son-in-law, Firoz.

Firoz later returned to Bangladesh, while Akram stayed in Kolkata. Debashish, his wife and their son subsequently joined him there.

After spending 16 days undergoing treatment at Narayana Hospital in Bengaluru, the family returned to Kolkata on 18 August. Although they had planned to return to Bangladesh, Debashish stayed an extra day in Kolkata to buy things for his daughter.

The family were caught in a devastating fire at a residential hotel in Kolkata's New Market area. Nine people were killed in the incident, including Debashish, Afsana, their three-year-old son Swarnashish and Akram Ali.