Grief has engulfed the family and community following the death of Mohammad Nizam Uddin, a Bangladeshi man killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.
The heart-wrenching cries of two of Nizam’s bereaved sisters have cast a somber atmosphere in Kharera Madhyapara village of Kasba upazila in Brahmanbaria.
Family members condemned the attack and demanded that Nizam’s body be swiftly returned to Bangladesh.
Nizam left for Lebanon in 2012, hoping for a better life and worked there as a construction laborer. After twelve years, he was finally set to return home next month.
Among his three sisters, one had already passed away. The remaining two, now having lost their only brother, are inconsolable in their grief.
The village fell into mourning late Saturday night when the heartbreaking news of his death was delivered to the family by a friend.
In a voice choked with tears, his sister Zahera Begum said: “I borrowed money to send my brother abroad. For twelve years, he had not come home. The debt from sending him is still unpaid, and now they are telling us my brother has died abroad. That news felt like the word has collapsed over us.”
She called for Nizam’s body to be brought home swiftly and condemned the attack.
His other sister, Parul Akter, said: “He was my beloved little brother. Yesterday (Saturday), his friend called with the news that my brother was killed in an airstrike. We demand justice for this. We urge the government to arrange for his body to be returned to us quickly.”
The villagers also condemned this brutal attack and joined in the call to have Nizam’s body returned to Bangladesh.
Md Ashiq Ahmed, a resident, said: “Our village, Kharera in Kasba, has become a witness to the brutality of the Israeli forces. We strongly condemn this heinous killing and urge the government to bring Nizam Uddin’s body home with official support.”
Mizanul Islam, member of the Union Parishad’s Ward No 8, said: “The upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) is closely monitoring the situation with the family. We, too, are in contact with the UNO regarding this matter.”
Nizam was killed in an air strike in Lebanon's capital Beirut on Saturday.
This is the first reported death of a Bangladeshi since Israel's attacks on Lebanon began. Nizam’s wife is currently in Lebanon.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Lebanon has spoken with Nizam's wife and is maintaining contact. Due to the lack of flights amid the war situation, it has been communicated to her that bringing the body back to Bangladesh will not be possible, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
According to the Bangladeshi Embassy in Lebanon, Nizam was on his way to work in the Hazmieh area of Beirut on Saturday afternoon when he was struck by the airstrike and died at the scene.
Mohammad Anwar Hossain, the First Secretary (Labour) of the Bangladesh Embassy in Beirut, confirmed the death, stating that Nizam was waiting at a coffee shop in the afternoon, local time.
In a press release, the Bangladesh Embassy in Lebanon expressed deep sorrow over the death of Mohammad Nizam Uddin.
Bangladeshi Ambassador to Lebanon Air Vice Marshal Javed Tanvir Khan extended his condolences, praying for the peace of the departed soul and offering sympathy to the bereaved family members.