Smoke kills 10 Bangladeshis

Ten Bangladeshi workers died from smoke inhalation as a fire broke out at their rented house in Bahrain early yesterday.
Muhammad Ibrahim, first secretary (labour) at the Bangladesh mission in the oil-rich state, confirmed the report, but could not go into details of the workers' identities.
He said nine of the workers were from Comilla and the other from Chandpur.
The fire originated from an electric short circuit around 4:00am at the house in East Riffa, 30 kilometres off the Bahrain capital Manama, Ibrahim said.
Firemen rushed to the scene after a tip-off from neighbours and found all the 10 dead; the residence was engulfed in smoke, he told The Daily Star over phone from Manama.
The firemen had to break the wall to enter, he said, adding, the house had hardly any ventilation system.
“The bodies were kept at the mortuary of Salmaniya Medical Complex in Riffa,” said Mohsin Chowdhury, director (welfare) of Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training.
The Bangladesh embassy was trying to send the bodies home as soon as possible, he told The Daily Star.
A correspondent from Comilla learnt that six of the dead were from the district's Sadar South upazila.
They were Mohammad Hanif, 48, Monir Hossain, 35, son of Abul Kashem of Jamira, Khorshed Alam, 40, son of Lal Mia in Jashopur village, Siddikur Rahman, 25, son of Anwar Ullah of Vuschi, Nurul Islam, 38, of Monipur village and Abu Taher, 45, of Shushunda village.
Of the rest, Anwar Hossain, 42, was from Laksam, and Soleman Mia, 38, son of Sirajul Haque, and Abul Hashem, 35, son of Tanu Mia were from Jugirhat, Chouddagram.
The name of another worker, who was from Hajiganj, Chandpur, could not be known.
Yesterday, the news of the deaths came as a terrible shock to the families in Comilla.
Ayatunnesa, wife of Mohammad Hanif, was crying her heart out as the correspondent visited her house in the afternoon.
“I talked to Shaheen's father [Hanif] for the last time on Friday. He was supposed to send home money for the marriage of our daughter by June 2. But he is no more,” she went on wailing.
“What shall I do? Allah has taken him away. How shall I survive with my five daughters and a son without him?”
Her brother Khorshed Alam and son-in-law Monir Hossain are among the 10 workers.
Hanif was a rickshaw mechanic and driver before leaving for Bahrain ten years ago by borrowing a good sum of money, his elder brother Nurul Islam said.
“He was yet to get rid of poverty. So he did not return home even in ten years,” Islam said, adding that Hanif wanted to come back only after paying off the debt.
Ayatunnesa said her son-in-law Monir went abroad two and a half years ago by borrowing Tk 1 lakh. “Who will now repay the loan? I just don't know.”
At Siddikur Rahman's residence, relatives were mourning his death. His mother was in floods of tears. No one could console her.
“I talked to Siddikur on Friday for the last time. Where shall I get back my dear son…” she cries on.