Missile strike kills Bangladeshi worker in Bahrain, family urges govt to bring him home

Tareq, a remittance earner from Sandwip, was killed early Monday while working aboard the vessel, Stena Imperative, at the Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard in Bahrain. Relatives and co-workers said debris from a missile strike hit the area, fatally striking him as he carried out repairs on the upper section of the ship.

At his rented home in Chattogram’s Halishahar, the family that once counted days to his return now waits for his body. His only daughter, Tasnim Tamanna, an eleventh-grade student at Bepza Public School and College, said through tears, “Last Sunday, before iftar, he spoke to us on video call. He was smiling and said he’d be home soon. How can he be gone in just one day? I have no siblings. Without him, how will we survive? How will I continue my studies?”

Family members said Tareq left Bangladesh in 1993 after completing his SSC to support his household. Over three decades, he rose from an ordinary worker to a senior supervisor.

Tareq’s longtime roommate, Solaiman Nowab, remembered him as a generous and hardworking man. “He worked tirelessly to rebuild their life in the city after their Sandwip home was lost to river erosion. Hearing of his death at dawn, I could not believe it,” he said, urging authorities to support the family.

Nur Hossain Belal, Tareq’s cousin and co-worker, recalled, “I was nearby when the blast shook the area. Fragments of a drone or missile hit him directly on the head while he worked on the upper section. He died there instantly.”

Mohammad Shamsul Islam, Tareq’s cousin, said, “The situation in Bahrain is unstable, and we do not know how quickly we can bring him back for burial. We need government support to do that.”

Relative Riaz Uddin Sourav added, “We have contacted the Bangladesh Embassy in Bahrain. Our main concern is bringing his body home quickly. The man who was to return with Eid joy is now gone, and the family is devastated.”