KOLKATA: “Bengaluru bye bye” — a farewell message posted by Bangladeshi journalist Debashis Dutta just a day before a hotel fire in Kolkata claimed his life and those of his wife, four-year-old son and father-in-law has emerged as a poignant glimpse of the family’s final days together.Dutta, 37, his wife Afsana Shirmin, 25, their four-year-old son Swarnashis and Afsana’s father, 64-year-old Akram Ali, were among nine people killed after a fire broke out late Tuesday night at Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata.The family had arrived in India on August 3. Dutta, his wife and their son had travelled to Bengaluru for Afsana’s medical treatment, while her father stayed in Kolkata, police said.After returning from Bengaluru, the three checked into the hotel at 15G Mirza Ghalib Street.Dutta’s last Facebook post, shared on Monday evening, carried the words “Bengaluru bye bye” after he had spent 13 days in the city. The post also featured a short video clip from a flight and a photograph of him with his wife and son.Dutta, a native of Aruapara in Bangladesh’s Kushtia district, had worked with several newspapers, including Ajker Patrika and Ajker Alo.The couple had two children. Their eight-year-old daughter had remained in Bangladesh and was not travelling with them.The Bangladesh foreign ministry said five Bangladeshis were among the nine people killed in the Kolkata fire.Four of the five belonged to the same family, it said, identifying the journalist and his three family members among those killed.Six other Bangladeshi nationals were injured in the fire and were released after primary treatment, according to the ministry.The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata said it had contacted the families of the deceased and was coordinating with hospitals and local police to provide assistance to those affected.Officials of the mission also visited the site and took steps to gather information about the victims and provide medical assistance to the injured.The mission has opened a 24-hour helpline for those affected, while Bangladesh’s foreign ministry is in contact with relevant Indian authorities.Dutta’s family had been in India for Afsana’s treatment, but what began as a medical trip ended with the deaths of four members of the family in the Kolkata hotel fire.(With PTI inputs)
