Houthi Missile Attack Kills Ashik, Leaves Two Children Fatherless

Kakoli Begum was waiting for another phone call from her husband, Shahed Ahmed Ashik, after he reached Jeddah. But the call she had been expecting never came.

Shahed, 35, a Bangladeshi expatriate from Bogura, was killed in a missile attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital. His death has left behind his wife, two young children and a grieving family. His nine-year-old and four-year-old children have lost their father, while Kakoli now faces an uncertain future without the family's primary breadwinner.

Shahed was the son of Rafiqul Islam, also known as Mithu, from Malipara village in Madla Union under Shajahanpur upazila of Bogura. He had been working in Saudi Arabia for the past three years.

On September 7, he returned to Bangladesh on a two-month leave, hoping to spend time with his family. However, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, he decided to return to Saudi Arabia earlier than planned to safeguard his job. After spending just a month at home, he left for the kingdom on Friday evening, October 9.

Shahed was employed in Jeddah and was scheduled to reach the city via Riyadh.

His brother, Masum Rana, said Shahed last spoke to his wife over the phone at around 5:00 pm local time on Saturday, October 10, after arriving at King Khalid International Airport.

During the conversation, Shahed told Kakoli that he had reached Riyadh and would call her again after arriving in Jeddah.

It was the last conversation between the couple.

When subsequent attempts to contact him failed, the family grew increasingly worried about his whereabouts. Their anxiety turned into grief when they learned of his death.

On Sunday night, Shajahanpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Taifur Rahman confirmed the death, citing information received from the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment.

According to the UNO, a missile fired by Iran-backed Houthi forces struck the terminal at King Khalid International Airport at around 3:20 pm on Saturday, killing Shahed and other passengers.

He said the death had been verified through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

Government officials have visited the bereaved family to offer assistance. Arrangements are also being made to repatriate Shahed's body to Bangladesh at government expense after completing the necessary formalities, the UNO added.

Meanwhile, grief has engulfed the family as they struggle to cope with the sudden loss.

Shahed's father, Rafiqul Islam, is also working in Saudi Arabia, while his mother, Shahera Begum, is currently in the kingdom to perform Umrah.

The tragedy has left Kakoli and her two young children facing not only the emotional trauma of losing a loved one but also uncertainty over their future. For Kakoli, Shahed's death means losing both her life partner and the family's principal provider, with whom she had shared the responsibility of raising their children and planning for their future.

As arrangements continue to bring Shahed's body home, his family in Bogura waits to bid him a final farewell.

A missile attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people, including two Bangladeshis, and injured more than 300 others, Saudi civil aviation authorities said on Sunday. Several of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said on Sunday that two Bangladeshis had been killed and four others were receiving treatment in a hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) following the attack.

She said the government was working to identify the deceased, establish their districts of origin and gather information about their families to ensure they could be contacted promptly.

"Our mission is working closely with the Saudi government to identify those killed and injured, as nationals of many countries have been affected amid the conflict situation," she told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.