Six-year-old Akash would never be able to play with his father, Dulal, who was supposed to return home soon.
“My son Akash used to say that he will play with his father when he returns from Bahrain. He also hoped that his father will bring him many gifts,” Aklima Begum, 35, wife of Dulal told the Dhaka Tribune while receiving the body of her husband at Shahjalal International Airport yesterday.
Dulal had told his son few days ago that he would return home shortly. “Akash told me that he will ride on his father and play,” she said.
On February 28, Mosharraf Hossain, Md Jalal and Dulal hailed from Comilla were killed in a fire in Bahrain. Their bodies reached the Dhaka airport by an Emirates Airlines flight.
The Wage Earners’ Welfare Board and the Bangladesh Embassy in Bahrain helped to bring the bodies to the country.
Aklima said her husband had gone to Bahrain in 2008 by spending Tk3.5 lakh, collected as loans.
“He used to send Tk8,000 every month for the family’s expenditure. How will I pay the loan now?” she questioned and urged the government for helping the family.
Marzina, 28, wife of Mosharraf, said they had three sons – Ripon, 9, Rimu, 10, and Emon, 11.
“My husband went abroad at a cost of around Tk4 lakh. We are still in debt of Tk1.5 lakh. What can I do now?” she said.
Amena Akhter, 19, wife of Jalal, said her husband had gone to Bahrain after managing some Tk5 lakh from different people as loans.
Md Ziauddin, director of the welfare fund of Wage Earners’ Welfare Board, said they had given each family a cheque of Tk35,000 for cost of transport and burial.
The government would later give each family Tk3 lakh as financial help, he added.