Kolkata hotel fire kills five Bangladeshis

At least five Bangladeshis were among nine people killed in a devastating hotel fire in central Kolkata, exposing fresh concerns over the safety standards and enforcement failures surrounding budget accommodation used by Bangladeshi medical travellers and their families in Indian cities.

The tragedy has also renewed questions about the preparedness of Indian authorities to ensure adequate fire-safety measures in densely packed commercial areas, particularly after reports of narrow exits, poor ventilation and inadequate emergency arrangements at the hotel where the victims died.

The fire broke out at around 2am on Wednesday at Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata’s New Market area. Thick smoke quickly engulfed the five-storey building, trapping many occupants who were asleep at the time. Smoke inhalation is believed to have caused most of the deaths.

According to Indian media reports and Bangladeshi authorities, nine people died in the blaze, including five Bangladeshi nationals. Six other Bangladeshis were injured but received initial treatment and were later released.

The Indian Express reported that the hotel stood in a congested area and had narrow exits and inadequate fire-safety arrangements, making evacuation difficult. Initial investigations have also focused on a possible short circuit as the cause of the fire.

The Times of India reported that poor ventilation and narrow exits further aggravated the situation and hampered attempts to evacuate people from the building.

Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam told journalists at the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday that five Bangladeshis had so far been identified among the nine dead.

“As far as we know, five Bangladeshis were there. Local police have been able to identify them,” she said.

She said Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata had been closely monitoring the situation and had visited both the hospital and the hotel where the fire occurred.

“He is trying to identify them, maintaining contact with the authorities and the police,” the state minister said.

According to the Foreign Ministry, four of the identified victims were members of the same family. They were journalist Debashish Dutta, his wife Afsana Shimmin, their two-year-old son Swarnashish Dutta and Afsana’s father Md Akram Ali.

The fifth Bangladeshi victim was identified as Ahmed Babu of Savar in Dhaka.

Debashish Dutta, 37, worked as the Kushtia correspondent for Ajker Patrika and Channel 9. Local media reports said he had travelled to India with his family for medical treatment.

The Foreign Ministry said six Bangladeshi nationals injured in the fire received initial treatment and were subsequently discharged.

Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commission in Kolkata has established a hotline and is maintaining continuous contact with hospitals, police and other local authorities.

The mission has also contacted the families of those killed and is working to repatriate the bodies to Bangladesh as soon as identification and other formalities are completed.

“We have already contacted the family members of those who died in Bangladesh through our mission in Kolkata,” Shama Obaed said. “We are working so that, once identification is completed and all formalities are done, the bodies can be brought back to Bangladesh as quickly as possible.”

Asked whether the government or the mission would bear the repatriation costs, the state minister said the government would assist if the families were unable to meet the expenses.

“If the families of those who unfortunately died cannot bear the cost, the government will certainly look into it,” she said.

Another deadly hotel fire in Delhi
The Kolkata tragedy comes only weeks after another deadly hotel fire in New Delhi in which Bangladeshi nationals were among those killed.

On 3 June, a fire swept through the Flourish Stay bed-and-breakfast in Hauz Rani, in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, initially killing at least 21 people. Indian media reported that a large number of the victims were foreign nationals, including Bangladeshis.

The Indian Express later reported that the death toll from the Delhi blaze rose to 23 after Bangladeshi national Rahana Akhtar died in hospital after suffering severe burn injuries. She had travelled to Delhi with her husband for his kidney transplant treatment.

Indian reports said the Delhi building was operating as a bed-and-breakfast despite serious questions over its safety compliance.

The building had 26 rooms, although its permit reportedly covered only six. Police suspected a short circuit was responsible for the blaze and arrested the building’s owner.

The Delhi fire also highlighted the particular vulnerability of foreign medical travellers. The Indian Express reported that many of those staying at the facility were patients or caregivers who had travelled to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Growing concerns over medical travellers’ safety
The two fires have intensified concerns about the safety of low-cost hotels, guest houses and other accommodation frequently used by Bangladeshi patients and their relatives travelling to India for medical treatment.

For Bangladesh, the Kolkata tragedy is particularly painful as several of those killed were members of a single family who had travelled abroad in search of medical care.

The incidents have also raised broader questions over the enforcement of fire-safety regulations in Indian cities, where densely packed buildings, inadequate emergency exits and poor ventilation can turn fires into deadly disasters.

While Indian authorities are investigating the Kolkata blaze, the reported safety shortcomings at the hotel are likely to draw renewed scrutiny over whether existing fire regulations were properly enforced and whether the premises were suitable for use as a hotel.

For now, the immediate priority for Bangladesh is to support the injured, assist the bereaved families, complete the identification process and bring the bodies of the victims home without unnecessary delay.