Kushtia Journalist Dies with Family in Kolkata Fire

Kushtia journalist Debashish Dutta, a former district correspondent for Nagorik Television, was among four people killed in a devastating fire in Kolkata, India. His wife, their two-year-old child and his father-in-law also died in the incident, leaving relatives and colleagues in Bangladesh mourning the loss of an entire family.

The other victims have been identified as Debashish’s wife, Afsana Sharmin, 25, their two-year-old child Sharnashish Dutta, and Debashish’s father-in-law, Mohammad Akram Ali, 64. Akram Ali was a resident of Thanapara in Kushtia.

Debashish was the son of Dilip Dutta of Arowapara in Kushtia town. He had established a career in journalism through his work with several media organisations, both national and local. He worked for the national daily Ajker Patrika and the private television channel Channel Nine. He also served as acting editor of Kushtia-based local newspaper Ajker Alo.

He was also a former Kushtia district correspondent for Nagorik Television, where he covered local developments and issues from the district. His death has prompted an outpouring of grief among fellow journalists, acquaintances and people who knew him through his professional work.

According to family members, Debashish travelled to India on 4 August to accompany his wife for medical treatment at Narayanan Hospital in Bengaluru. The family’s six-year-old daughter, Mahima Dutta, was left behind in Bangladesh. After completing the treatment, Debashish and his family returned to Kolkata, where they were staying before the fatal fire.

The tragedy has been particularly devastating for the family because four members died in the same incident. Debashish’s six-year-old daughter Mahima has now been left without her parents and younger sibling, according to information provided by relatives.

The deaths have cast a pall of grief over Kushtia, particularly among members of the local journalism community. Debashish’s long association with both local and national media had made him a familiar figure among journalists and news sources in the district.

Family members are now dealing with the arrangements following the deaths and the process of bringing the victims’ remains back to Bangladesh. Details surrounding the cause of the fire and the circumstances that led to the four deaths were not provided in the information available from the family.

The incident has therefore brought sudden and profound loss to Debashish’s family, while colleagues in Kushtia remember a journalist whose professional life was closely connected with reporting from his home district.