Two of those killed in the resort fire at Patuartek Beach in Inani, Cox’s Bazar, were students at Dhaka University and Jagannath University.
They were Md Nafis Tehami and Laila Jahan Nabila. Nafis was a student in the Chinese Language and Culture programme at Dhaka University’s Institute of Modern Languages. Laila Jahan Nabila was a student of the 2019–20 academic year at the Department of Chemistry in Jagannath University.
A fire broke out at the wooden resort named Tuptup on Patuartek Beach on Saturday morning. According to the Fire Service, the resort had a restaurant on the ground floor and guest accommodation on the two floors above. It had no fire safety measures, and during an inspection in June, the Fire Service had declared the resort “risky”.
Ten tourists died in the fire at the resort on Saturday morning. Seven of them have been identified, including Nafis Tehami.
In a message expressing grief over his death, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor ABM Obaidul Islam said that Nafis and several members of his family had died. Such deaths were deeply tragic and painful, he said, adding that the Dhaka University community was mourning the tragic incident.
The vice-chancellor prayed for the souls of those who died and offered his deepest condolences to their bereaved families. Calling for the cause of the fire to be identified and those responsible to receive exemplary punishment without delay, he said Dhaka University would stand by the victims’ families and provide the necessary assistance.
According to Dhaka University authorities, Nafis Tehami was from South Chunakhali village in Amtali upazila of Barguna district.
Meanwhile, Jagannath University Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Rais Uddin and Treasurer Professor Sabina Sharmin issued messages expressing grief over the death of Laila Jahan Nabila. They prayed for the forgiveness of her soul and expressed their deepest condolences to her bereaved family. They also wished the family patience and mental strength to overcome this irreparable loss.
Three of Laila Jahan Nabila’s sisters were also killed in the fire. They were Faria Kabir, 33; Israt Jahan Maliha, 30; and Milita Mehezabin Alvi, 23. Another victim Faizan Nur, 5, was the son of Nabila’s elder sister Faria, while Nasir Uddin, 25, was her brother. They had all travelled from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar for a holiday.