Kolkata hotel fire: B’deshi journalist, kin had come for treatment

A Bangladeshi journalist and his family, including his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, perished in a fire at Hotel Shikha Inn in central Kolkata on Wednesday. The nine victims were among the nine people killed in the inferno. The family had traveled to India on August 3 for medical treatment and planned to return home the same day.

The family's inconsolable mother, Swapna Dutta, 62, from Kushtia, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of her son Debashish Dutta, 39, daughter-in-law Afsana Sharmin, 27, and their grandson Swarnashish Dutta, who was only two-and-a-half years old. Their six-year-old daughter stayed behind with her grandparents in Kushtia. Debashish had last spoken to his mother around 9:45 pm on Tuesday.

He and his family arrived in Kolkata on Monday and checked into the hotel. The Bangladesh deputy high commission confirmed that five of the nine victims were Bangladeshi nationals, with the remaining four originating from Kushtia, Bangladesh. The fifth victim was Babu Ahmed, 37, from Aminabazar in Dhaka. The New Market area, where the hotel is located, is known for its budget accommodations, attracting many Bangladeshi visitors.

India reinstated normal tourist visa services for Bangladeshis in June 2026 after imposing restrictions following political unrest in 2024. In 2023, a total of 1.6 million Bangladeshis visited India, with 60% traveling for tourism and 30% for medical treatment. The hotel, located in the New Market area, was popular among Bangladeshi tourists, with nearly all hotels in the area being fully booked.