DHAKA: Abul Monsur Reaz was standing in a line to collect his boarding pass last Saturday, when a Houthi strike hit the Riyadh airport.
Moments after the explosion, believing he was near his life’s end, the 38-year-old Bangladeshi pilgrim tried to remember the faces of his family back home: his 3-year-old daughter, his aging mother, his wife, and his late father.
“Many memories flashed in my mind within seconds,” Reaz told Arab News.
“I thought I probably wouldn’t survive, and it was my last opportunity to recall the faces of my dearest family.”
He recalled standing behind Nasrullah Badar, a 37-year-old imam and teacher, who was one of two Bangladeshis among 13 people killed in the missile attack.
“I was not supposed to remain alive. By the grace of the Almighty, my life was saved and I am still breathing,” he said.
More than 300 other people were injured during the strike, including 24 from Bangladesh. According to Dhaka’s embassy in Riyadh, the group comprises 11 migrant workers and 13 Umrah pilgrims, who remain hospitalized.
Reaz himself has been undergoing treatment, including multiple surgeries, at Riyadh Hospital for injuries to his legs, waist and head.
“All the Saudi doctors and nurses at the hospital are extremely friendly and supportive. They treat me like the closest family member. Even the doctors are taking care of me, (doing things) that are supposed to be done by the nurses,” Reaz said.
Bangladeshis who are working as staff at the hospital have also been giving their support.
“As I am alone here and there is none to look after me, all my Bangladeshi fellows working here at the hospital are taking care of me like family,” he added.
When Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Delwar Hossain visited him on Wednesday, he assured Reaz that authorities in the Kingdom have also extended their support, promising the best treatment at Saudi hospitals until Reaz’s full recovery.
“For me, it’s a great relief to know that I am receiving the best care here at the Saudi hospital.”
Daoud bin Muhib, a Bangladeshi pilgrim from Comilla, is recovering from shrapnel wounds and burns at King Fahad Hospital in Riyadh.
“What happened at that time was really horrific. Remembering that situation still brings a lot of pain,” he told Arab News.
“Now my condition is good, thank God. The treatment here is very good. People all over the world prayed for us and by the grace of Allah Almighty, now I am well.”
According to Muhib, at least three other Bangladeshi nationals are still in intensive care, and one remains in critical condition.
“As for the others, thank God, they have been much better,” Muhib said. “They are being treated here with a lot of care, and they are receiving a lot of attention.”