Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of 10 Bangladeshi citizens in two separate incidents in Kolkata, India, and East London, United Kingdom. In a statement sent to the media on Wednesday, party Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said at least nine Bangladeshis, including a child, died in a fire at a residential hotel on Free School Street in Kolkata’s New Market area around 2am the previous night.

Parwar said several others were burned and injured in the hotel fire. He described the deaths of Bangladeshis who had travelled to India for medical treatment and other needs as heartbreaking and painful. Separately, he said a Bangladeshi man, Mashum Mia, 40, was shot dead by miscreants in East London on August 17.

The Jamaat leader prayed for the forgiveness of those killed and conveyed condolences to the families of the dead and injured. He also wished a speedy recovery for those burned or seriously injured. Parwar urged the Bangladesh mission in India and relevant authorities to arrange the swift and dignified return of the bodies to Bangladesh and ensure proper treatment for the injured.