Fahadh was at the airport in Dhaka before boarding the plane to South Africa. He was always happy and wanted to go abroad. His two uncles were doing well with their businesses in South Africa and had improved their living conditions. Fahad also wanted to achieve something similar. To fulfill his son’s wishes, his father Noor Mohammed spent 900,000 taka to send Fahadh to South Africa through an agent. But Fahad died shortly after reaching Africa.
On January 30, Mohammad Fahad (18) started his journey from Dhaka to South Africa by plane. He was supposed to fly to Ethiopia and then catch another flight to South Africa via Zimbabwe, but that plan did not work out.
Agents took him through the jungle from Ethiopia to Zimbabwe and then by road to South Africa, where he arrived on Sunday, 15 February.
On Sunday morning, Fahadh’s father Noor Mohammed, 45, got the news that his son had reached South Africa. However, later that night, he receives another call with the news of his son’s death.
Noor Mohammad had tears in her eyes while speaking about Fahadh. He said, “I never showed any shortcomings to him. I always encouraged him to study. But he wanted to go to South Africa. I made arrangements for him, but now I am no more.”
Noor Mohammed is a resident of North Jowara village of Jowara union in Chandanish upazila of Chattogram. Fahadh was the second among his two sons and a daughter.
Most recently, he was a class ten student at the local Kanchanabad Multipurpose High School. Although he had to appear for SSC exam this year, he was no longer interested in studies.
Noor Mohammed, who works in a private insurance company, said that Fahad’s two uncles were living in South Africa for some time, where they have a business. His eldest uncle had gone there about 10 years ago, and his younger uncle had gone there 8 months ago, both through the same medium.
In response to his son’s persistent requests, Noor Mohammed borrowed 900,000 taka from various people. He then used that money to send Fahadh to South Africa through an agent.
Noor Mohammad said that Fahadh had boarded a flight from Dhaka to Africa on January 30. Suddenly on the night of 15 February he received a call. An unknown person on the line said, “Your son Fahadh is no more, recite Inna Lillahi, he has passed away.”
The family believes that Fahadh died due to the hardships of the long journey, starvation, disease and lack of medical care. They had given Fahad $200 and a lot of dry food in his bag, but everything was stolen from him in the jungle, which left him very upset.
Noor Mohammed said agents initially promised to fly Fahadh from Dhaka to Ethiopia and Zimbabwe and then across the border to South Africa. However, this did not happen in reality. Fahadh was taken from Ethiopia to South Africa via several countries. As a result, they had to walk through the forest for several days and the journey lasted about two weeks.
The happy-go-lucky Fahadh hoped to move to South Africa and establish himself in life, but that dream eventually led him to death.
On the morning of 15 February, Fahadh’s younger uncle Mohammad Faisal called Noor Mohammad from South Africa and informed that Fahadh has reached Musina, South Africa and is resting in a room. This brought him relief, but it was short-lived. The same night he received the news of Fahadh’s death on phone. Someone contacted Noor Mohammed using the address found on Fahad’s passport and documents.
Fahad’s father Noor Mohammad said that he had initially paid Tk 200,000 to the agent. Later, he transferred 700,000 taka through a bank account when the journey began. An additional payment of Taka 150,000 was to be made after reaching South Africa. The agents promised to return the money after hearing about Fahadh’s death.
Wracked with grief, Noor Mohammed expressed his wish, “I just want to see my son for the last time. How will I live without him? His vibrant life ended before it had really even begun.”