He paid with his life, for only Tk 500

His work was for one day as a night guard at the Malibagh flyover construction site. For this, Swapan was offered Tk 500 and the amount was irresistible for him as he had just returned to the city from his village home with empty pockets.

So, he immediately grabbed the offer. What he had to do was not a big deal; alert passers-by and vehicles passing under the flyover after yesterday midnight to any possible risk.

But fate had it otherwise that he would pay with his life for relief from all his sufferings.

In the middle of the four-hour duty around 2:00am, a girder fell to the ground leaving the 42-year-old severely injured as the broken pieces hit him hard.

He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead an hour later.

Swapan was a part-time woodcarver who worked on call from different shops and individuals. The income wasn't enough to run his family of three children and wife. So, he started working as a part-time night guard at a house close to Malibagh rail gate, which didn't pay him anything but a place to sleep and meals.

A few days back, Swapan went to his village Pakundia of Kishoreganj to meet his family.  There he spent every penny of what he had.

Back to Dhaka, he became desperate for money.

“He said he had no money with him,” said Abdul Kuddus Babu, a friend of Swapan, who then helped him get the work at the site.

Babu along with others took Swapan to the hospital after the accident.

With his death, his family of four foresees tougher days than what it had already been since he was the only breadwinner.

“He took the job to cope with the expenses of the family. He was going through a very hard time,” said Swapan's brother-in-law Mahfuz Pathan.

He blamed the negligence of the contractors for the accident and demanded compensation that the victim's family needs so badly now.