Bailey Road fire: Other Heart-Wrenching Stories

Mobarak Hossain Kausar and four members of his family died in the Bailey Road fire on Thursday night. Kausar, an expatriate from Brahmanbaria's Sarail, was on a family dine-out before returning to Italy. — Photo Focus Bangla

A joyous evening get-together on Bailey Road, Dhaka, turned into a nightmarish tragedy for multiple families as a fire engulfed a non-compliant seven-story building. Among the victims, a family of five met a horrific fate, with 46 people losing their lives and 13 others fighting severe burns in one of the worst fire incidents witnessed in the country.

The Shattered Dreams of the Kawsar Family

One family, in particular, Syed Mubarak Hossain Kawsar's, had gathered at the ill-fated Kacchi Bhai restaurant on the building's second floor. The entire family, set to depart for Italy in search of a better life, unknowingly shared their last dinner together. Tragically, their lives were cut short just 20 days before their scheduled flight. Now, laid to rest side by side in their ancestral home at Sarail in Brahmanbaria district, their untimely demise has left the community in shock.

Dreams of Migration Turned to Ashes

Kawsar, an expatriate working in Italy, had recently returned to Bangladesh to take his wife Swapna (35) and three children – Kashfia (17), Noor (13), and Abdullah (7) – with him. Having secured Italian visas for his family, they hoped to celebrate their good fortune with a pre-departure dinner. Little did they know, the flames that night would extinguish not only their dreams but also their lives.

Other Heart-Wrenching Stories

The fire tragedy extended its devastating reach to other families like that of Sayek Ahmed, who lost his wife Nafisa Akhter (28) and two children Arhan (7) and Adiyat (3). Sayek, who was supposed to join them at the restaurant, arrived only to find the lifeless bodies of his loved ones. Similarly, Ria, Alisha, and Nimo, on a last-minute shopping spree, faced an unimaginable fate as the fire thwarted their return, leaving their father, Korban Ali, grief-stricken.

A Devastated Police Officer

Even among the victims was Deputy Inspector-General of the Police Headquarters, Nasirul Islam, whose daughter Lamisha Islam lost her life tragically. Lamisha, a recent admit to BUET, visited a restaurant in the ill-fated building, leaving her father, who had already lost his wife six years ago, in inconsolable grief.

The Bailey Road fire has not only claimed numerous lives but has also shattered the dreams and aspirations of families seeking better prospects abroad. The heart-wrenching stories of loss and grief paint a somber picture of a community grappling with the aftermath of one of the deadliest fires in the country's history. As investigations unfold, questions regarding building compliance and safety standards arise, emphasizing the urgent need for preventive measures to avoid such devastating incidents in the future.