The bodies of five expatriate workers from Naogaon, who died in a devastating fire in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, are returning home on Saturday. Although the agonized wait of nearly two and a half months is finally coming to an end, uncertainty continues to shadow the lives of their bereaved relatives.
The profound grief of losing loved ones has been compounded by crushing debts, mortgaged homesteads, and deep anxieties regarding the future of their children. The responsibility of repaying loans—incurred to send these breadwinners abroad in pursuit of prosperity—now rests entirely upon their struggling families.
According to a notification issued by the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, the bodies of the five expatriates, identified through DNA testing, are scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Saturday (October 31) at 8:05 AM via Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-336.
The five expatriates whose bodies are returning include Shaheen from Par Naogaon under Naogaon Pourashava, along with Hasibul Hasan Shubho of Dubai village, Minhaj Pramanik of Madhya Boyalia village, Masidul Sardar Sajib of Madhabpur village, and Sagar Ali of Sadhanagar village in Atrai upazila.
Dreams Shattered in Six Months, Debt Mounting to Tk 6.5 Lakh
Sagar Ali’s family in Sadhanagar village of Atrai upazila is facing the most severe crisis following his demise. Hoping to bring solvency to the family, Parvin Khatun had sent her husband to Saudi Arabia just six months ago by taking out a loan of 6.5 lakh taka. However, before that dream could materialize, Sagar perished in the fire.
Parvin Khatun stated that their only remaining asset, their homestead land, is mortgaged to a moneylender. To date, they have not even been able to repay one lakh taka of the debt.
Having lost her husband, she now confronts an uncertain future alongside her two children. Caught between the responsibilities of raising her kids and relentless pressure from creditors, this housewife is utterly at her wits' end.
The question of how the family will manage to recover after losing their sole earner—even before the debts incurred for his overseas migration could be cleared—has emerged as a daunting challenge.
Elderly Parents Awaiting a Final Glance
Read nextKishorkantho Merit Scholarship Exam Held in Parbatipur with Around 5,000 StudentsSeptuagenarian Majnu Sardar and his wife Chaida Begum of Atrai had been desperately waiting for the body of their deceased son, Masidul Sardar. Bent with age, Majnu Sardar would regularly visit the Upazila Nirbahi Officer's office leaning on a walking stick in search of updates about his son.
His fervent plea was simply to catch a final glimpse of his son's face before passing away. After a prolonged wait, that opportunity is finally arriving. Yet, at this moment of the bodies' return, the grief of the family members is deepening alongside any semblance of solace.
Meanwhile, a profound void has descended upon the life of Parul Akhter from Madhya Boyalia village. She weeps as she stares at a photograph of her son Minhaj on a mobile phone. The wait for the son, around whom the family's dreams revolved, is culminating in the return of his lifeless remains.
Bodies Returning After Two and a Half Months
On August 9, a massive fire at a sofa manufacturing factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, claimed the lives of 16 Bangladeshi expatriates, 12 of whom hailed from Naogaon district. On August 27, the bodies of seven victims were brought back in the first phase. Due to complexities in identification and legal procedures, the bodies of the remaining five victims had remained in a Riyadh morgue.
Following prolonged waiting by relatives and successful identification via DNA profiling, the process of repatriating the bodies has been finalized. The remains are scheduled to arrive home on Saturday.
Will Government Assistance Bring Real Relief?
Atrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Moniruzzaman stated that following the completion of legal procedures and DNA tests, arrangements for repatriating the bodies were executed in coordination with the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh. The process of distributing financial aid from the government to the affected families through the Wage Earners' Welfare Board is currently underway.
However, the immediate needs of these families extend far beyond receiving bodies or completing burials. Repaying loans, providing for children's sustenance, and securing livelihoods remain massive challenges ahead. For families who mortgaged their homesteads to secure loans, the efficacy of financial assistance will largely depend on the quantum of support and its timely delivery.
The bodies of loved ones are returning home, and the wait to see them for the last time is finally drawing to a close. Yet, the question of how these families will rebuild their lives in the absence of those whose earnings sustained their households remains unanswered.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Ujjwal Kumar Sarker, Naogaon: • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
