3 Bangladeshi expats killed in Saudi road crash

Three Bangladeshi migrant workers were killed in a road accident while travelling to the construction site where they work in Saudi Arabia on Thursday (13 June).

The deceased were identified as Sabuj Chowkidar, 38, son of Jamal Chowkidar of Paschim Bishkatali village of Faridganj Upazila, Md Sabbir, 21, son of Md Ismail Chayal of Charbhanga village of Haimchar upazila and Md Rifat, 20, son of Delwar Hossain of Kamalapur village of Algi North Union.

They were residents of Chandpur's Faridganj and Haimchar upazilas.

The accident occurred on Thursday around 9:00am (local time) while going to the work from Afif, a city in Saudi Arabia.

Jamal Chowkidar, father of victim Sabuj Chowkidar said they received information about the accident at 4:00pm on Thursday.

Later, they were taken to a local hospital where doctors declared 3 people, including Sabuj dead around 10:00pm, he said quoting relatives staying in Saudi Arabia.

Sabuj was driving the car at the time of the accident, he added.

He also said that his son Sabuj went to Saudi Arabia about 18 years back. He had visited the country several times. He has a wife and two daughters.

They have also been taken to Saudi Arabia several times on travel visas. Two weeks ago, he took his wife and children to Saudi Arabia again. They are still in there.

Rifat's father Delwar Hossain said that he spoke with his son a few days ago. "My son promised to celebrate the Eid with us but it remained unfulfilled", he mourned.

Families of the victims are urgently calling for the cooperation of the concerned departments of the government in bringing the bodies of their sons.

Haimchar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Umme Salma Nazneen Trisha said, "We have not been informed by the families of those who died in the accident in Saudi so far."

However, she said all kinds of assistance will be provided to the families of the deceased to bring the bodies home once notified.