Bangladeshi journalist, wife and son among nine killed in Kolkata hotel fire

PTI, August 19, 2026, Kolkata : A trip to India for his wife's medical treatment ended in tragedy for Bangladeshi journalist Debashis Dutta and his family, who were among the nine people killed in a fire at a hotel in central Kolkata.

Dutta (37), his wife Afsana Shirmin (25), their four-year-old son Swarnashis and Afsana's father, 64-year-old Akram Ali, died after a fire broke out at 'Shikha Inn' on Mirza Ghalib Street late Tuesday night. The family had arrived in India on August 3. Dutta, his wife and their son had travelled to Bengaluru for Afsana's treatment, while Akram Ali was staying in Kolkata, police said. The three returned from Bengaluru and checked into the hotel at 15G Mirza Ghalib Street.

Dutta, a native of Aruapara in Kushtia district, had worked with several newspapers in Bangladesh, including 'Ajker Patrika' and 'Ajker Alo'. The couple had two children. Their eight-year-old daughter remained in Bangladesh and was not travelling with them.

Dutta's social media posts from the trip now offer a poignant glimpse of the family's final days together.

In his last Facebook post on Monday evening, he wrote “Bengaluru bye bye” after spending 13 days in the city. It also included a short video clip from a flight and a photograph of him with his wife and son.

The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata said five Bangladeshi nationals were killed in the hotel fire, while some others were injured and undergoing treatment in hospitals. Officials of the mission visited the scene and took steps to gather information about the deceased and ensure necessary medical assistance for the injured, according to a press statement.