The bodies of six Bangladeshi nationals who lost their lives in a tragic hotel fire in Kolkata, West Bengal, are scheduled to be repatriated to Bangladesh on Saturday afternoon.

Five of the bodies will cross into Bangladesh through the Benapole land port in Jashore, while another will be brought back via the Bhomra port in Satkhira.

The bodies of journalist Debashis Dutta, his wife Afsana Sharmin, their three-year-old son Swarnashish Dutta, his father-in-law Akram Hossain and Ahmed Babu of Aminbazar in Savar will be brought back through the Benapole border.

Meanwhile, the body of Satkhira resident Alimuzzaman Saju will be repatriated through the Bhomra border.

All legal and administrative formalities required for repatriating the remains were completed on Friday night.

The bodies were scheduled to leave Kolkata between 1 pm and 2 pm Bangladesh time.

Following the completion of procedures on Friday night, the bodies were kept at the Peace World morgue in Kolkata.

According to family decisions, the funerals and burials for Debashis and his family members will take place separately, following their respective religious traditions.

The bodies of Debashis and his son Swarnashish will be cremated at the Kushtia Crematorium, with preparations arranged for cremation around 8 pm on Saturday.

The bodies of Debashis's wife, Afsana Sharmin, and father-in-law, Akram Hossain, will first be taken to Debashis's residence before being brought to Akram’s home in the Thanapara area of Kushtia town.

They will subsequently be buried at the Kushtia Municipal Graveyard in accordance with Islamic rites.

Debashis's father, Dilip Dutta, along with other relatives, stated that the burial is scheduled following Esha prayers, though the exact timing remains contingent on when the bodies arrive in Bangladesh.

Family sources noted that Debashis married Afsana Sharmin approximately nine years ago. Though they came from different religious backgrounds, their faith differences never hindered their marriage.

The couple had two children—Mahima and Swarnashish.

Speaking to reporters at his office on Friday afternoon, Bangladesh's Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, Md Khaled, confirmed that the bodies would be brought home at government expense.

Meanwhile, the body of another Bangladeshi victim, Reboti Sarker of Satkhira, will remain in India at her family's request, where a relative will handle the final rites.

A total of nine individuals, including seven Bangladeshis and two Indian nationals, died of suffocation when a fire erupted at Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata late Tuesday night.

Autopsies were finalized at Kolkata Medical College Hospital on Thursday after which the remains were transferred to the hospital morgue.

Debashis had traveled to Kolkata on August 3 alongside his wife Afsana and younger son Swarnashish for medical treatment.

His father-in-law, Akram Hossain, joined the family several days later.