In a heart-wrenching turn of events during the Bailey Road fire tragedy, Syed Mubarak, an expatriate hailing from Italy, lost five members of his family, including himself, as they dined at a restaurant in the capital. The devastating incident unfolded on Thursday night, claiming the lives of at least 45 people and leaving over 20 others with severe injuries.
Mubarak, who had returned to Dhaka from Italy for a visit, had chosen Kacchi Bhai restaurant on Bailey Road for a family dinner. Sadly, fate had a different plan for them. Mubarak, his wife Swapna Akhter, daughters Fatema Tuz Zohra Kashfia and Amena Akhter, along with son Syed Abdullah, aged 48, 40, 19, 13, and 8 respectively, lost their lives in the tragic fire.
Speaking to reporters at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Mubarak’s cousin, Faisal, revealed that the family, originally from Shahbazpur village in Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria district, had left their home in Dhaka’s Mugda around 8 pm for a simple family dinner. Little did they know that this would be their last outing together.
Faisal explained that despite Mubarak’s plans to return to Italy within a month, the fire shattered those hopes, leaving their village home and hearts in mourning.
The fire, which started around 9:45 pm at Kacchi Bhai on the first floor, quickly escalated, leading to a tragic loss of life. Firefighters worked tirelessly to rescue 70 individuals, 42 of whom were found unconscious, from the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage.
The intensity of the blaze was exacerbated by gas cylinders on multiple floors in the restaurant kitchens, making escape difficult for those trapped inside due to smoke-filled staircases.
As the nation grieves this profound loss, investigations into the Bailey Road fire continue, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced safety measures to prevent such devastating incidents in the future.
