Ahead of their flight to Italy on Mar 10, Mobarak took his wife and children out to dinner at Bailey Road's Kacchi Bhai. But a fire cut their lives short
Published : 01 Mar 2024, 12:46 PM
Just days before embarking on a new chapter in Italy with his family, Syed Mobarak Hossain decided to take them out to dinner at Kacchi Bhai, a popular biryani outlet in Dhaka's Bailey Road.
The meal would turn out to be their last.
In a grim twist of fate, the family of five lost their lives in the devastating fire that swept through the restaurant located in the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage building.
Syed Gausul Azam, Mobarak's brother-in-law, shared the heart-wrenching story at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital while preparing to claim their bodies on Friday.
Mubarak had been living in Italy for several years as his wife Sapna and their three children, Syeda Kasfia, Syeda Noor, and Syed Abdullah, awaited in Dhaka's Madhubagh, counting down the days until they could join him.
After acquiring his green card, Mubarak returned to Bangladesh to bring his family back to Italy with him. Their flight was scheduled for Mar 10.
"Everything was set -- the visas, the passports. They were just days away from their flight to Italy. It was a momentous occasion, so they decided to celebrate together at Kacchi Bhai," said Gausul.
Mobarak had also invited Gausul to join them. "I too would have been among the dead had I gone with them."
“The gas cylinders on the stairs of the building aggravated the fire. I hope the government takes strict actions against the building authorities,” Gausul said.
Mubarak and his family will be cremated in their home town of Brahmanbaria.