Their dreams turned into despair
Alam Ahmed had left for Oman barely six months ago, after borrowing around Tk 5 lakh from relatives and a local NGO.
He left behind his wife Nasima Begum and two children to seek his fortune, hoping a job in the oil-rich Gulf country would keep his family solvent.
Alam, 35, of Tilalin village in Moulvibazar’s Kamalganj upazila, died in a road accident in Adam area of Oman, on February 3. Two other migrant workers, Liakat Ali, 35, and Sabur Ali, 33, of Kulaura upazila of the district, also died in the crash.
Quoting Liakat’s brother-in-law Jashim Uddin, who lives in Oman, his grieving family members said the three of them, among other Bangladeshis, were going home riding bicycles after work when a car rammed into them around 4:00pm.
Jashim Uddin identified the bodies.
Alam’s death puts his family in uncertainty because he was the lone breadwinner.
“How will I repay the loans?” lamented Alam’s widow, Nasima.
Liakat’s wife Shirin Begum said he went to Oman around five years ago. Father of an eight-year-old son, Liakat used to send home Tk 5,000 each month for his family.
He dreamt of returning home and taking his ailing mother to the doctor, she said.
Shirin said she last talked to her husband two days before the crash.
His death left his mother Banesha shell-shocked. Liakat’s son Taif, a fourth-grader, said “My father promised to come home soon.”
At Sabur’s village, the weeping of his wife and children could be heard yards away from his home.
Sabur had gone abroad around four years ago after selling a part of his homestead.
His wife Achia Begum had to move in with her sister with her two daughters and son after he left.
Achia said her husband wanted to build a house of their own after coming back. “That dream will never come true,” she said.
Their eldest daughter, Sadia, an 8th grader, said she and her father spoke on the morning of the fateful day.
Sadia said continuing her studies will now be difficult due to poverty.
Kulaura Upazila Nirbahi Officer ATM Farhad Chowdhury said the administration will extend its support to the families.
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