Seven bodies arrive in Ctg

Nur Nahar Lucky breaks down before the coffin bearing the body of her 22-year-old son Md Arif in Chittagong's Shah Amanat International Airport yesterday. Arif was one of the 19 Bangladeshis who were killed in a UAE road accident on February 4.
Photo: Anurup Kanti Das

In his 60s, Idris Miah perhaps carried the heaviest thing in his lifetime yesterday--the coffins of his two sons who were killed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) road accident on February 4.
The two--Khorshed Alam, 24, and Masud Rana, 18--were buried in their North Sartta village in Raozan upazila.
Idris and Hasina Begum have now only one child left--a daughter.
Seven bodies of the 19 Bangladeshis, who died in the tragedy with three other foreign nationals, reached Chittagong's Amanat International Airport yesterday morning.
In Anwara upazila, Borhan's mother passed out frequently, who came to know of her son's death only two days ago.
Jahangir, eldest brother of Borhanudin, 26, said he hid the news as his mother was ill. Borhan was the youngest of the three sons of Anwara Begum and Shah Alam of Khaskama village.
A pall of gloom enveloped Fatikchhari as four of the victims lived there.
Nur Nahar Lucky, mother of 22-year-old Md Arif, cried so much that she got so frail. "Who will call me 'ma'?" wondered the mother, Arif was whose only child.
Md Hashem, 42, of Dakkhin Paindong village had lived in UAE for the last 10 years. His family of five--his wife, three daughters and a son--is now in deep uncertainty.
So are the families of Md Alauddin, 38, of Dakkin Paindong village and Sirajul Islam, 42, of Uttar Paindong village.
All of the victims were buried.
Officials said the remaining 12 bodies would arrive home by February 13.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Jahangir Alam, a joint secretary to the expatriates' welfare ministry, yesterday handed over a cheque of Tk 35,000 to each of the seven families as burial cost.
An additional Tk 2 lakh will be donated to each of the families later, said Mohsin Chowdhury, director, Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, Chittagong.