Mustafa Kamal Nannu, Tangail Correspondent
They left their homeland with dreams in their eyes and burdens on their backs—burdens of poverty, hope, and responsibility. But what awaited them abroad was not prosperity, but premature death. In a deeply tragic incident, two brothers from Kodim Dhalya village under Mirzapur upazila in Tangail died of strokes in Saudi Arabia, just a month apart.
The deceased are Nazrul Islam (45) and Aminur Islam (35), sons of late Kabir Uddin. Nazrul had been working in Saudi Arabia for over three and a half years. He was expected to return home on 5 August, but he died suddenly on 28 July. His younger brother Aminur, who had taken a hefty loan of Tk 800,000 to go abroad about 18 months ago, was preparing to repatriate his elder brother’s body.
But fate struck twice. Before he could complete the arrangements, Aminur also died—of a similar stroke—barely a month later.
The family is devastated. Their elderly mother, unable to bear the shock, reportedly loses consciousness repeatedly. Both bodies are yet to arrive home. The family, steeped in sorrow, is now also staring at economic uncertainty, with debts unpaid and children left fatherless.
Locals describe both brothers as hardworking and responsible. “They didn’t go abroad for luxury. They went for survival—for the dignity of their families,” a neighbor told The New Nation. “But they came back as coffins.”
The incident has sent shockwaves across the village. Residents and relatives have urged the government to support the grieving family, financially and emotionally.
This tragedy, while deeply personal for one family, reflects a broader and heartbreaking reality for thousands of Bangladeshi expatriate workers. It raises an all-too-familiar question:
“Why do lives built on sweat and sacrifice come to such abrupt, lonely ends ?”
