Bangladeshi youth killed in Pakistan army ops had left for Dubai, family says

The family of Faisal Hossain, 22, who was reportedly killed during a military operation in Pakistan after joining the proscribed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), say they believed he was working in Dubai and cannot accept that he died in combat.

Mourning continues in his native village.

Faisal was the son of Abdul Awal Morol of Chhotodudhkhali in Kalikapur Union of Madaripur Sadar. The family resides on Aziz Road, Jagannathpur, Dhaka.

Abdul Awal works as an electrician and Faisal’s elder brother Arman Morol is employed in the private sector.

Pakistani authorities announced that late on Friday 17 TTP members had been killed in an operation in Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province; among the dead was the Bangladeshi national Faisal Hossain.

Faisal’s elder brother Arman said they were confirmed about the news of his sibling’s death on Sunday afternoon.

Relatives set out from Dhaka for Madaripur early on Monday. Faisal’s mother Chaina Begum, 45, arrived at the family home around 11:00 am unaware of her son’s death; she had been told only that her son was unwell in Dubai.

Faisal’s maternal grandfather, Zainal Byapari, who first informed her that Faisal was dead. Overcome with grief, she began to wail, and neighbours quickly gathered to console the family.

In a tearful account, Chaina Begum said, “I spoke to my son two months ago. He told me, ‘Mother, I can’t send much money, but how are you? I am doing well here.’ I urged him to return and work in the country. He said, ‘I will come back,’ but he never did. Oh God, return my child to my arms.”

She added, “Faisal used to say there were no jobs at home and he would go to Dubai. Later he left on his own. After that we had no news for a month. Then he phoned and said he was in Dubai. We spoke once or twice a month. None of us knew he had gone to Pakistan.”

Faisal studied up to the tenth grade at a school in Kalachandpur, Dhaka. While in Bangladesh he supported himself by selling prayer mats, prayer caps, and perfumes at religious gatherings in Dhaka, his family said.

Faisal’s uncle, Abdul Halim, told Prothom Alo that two years ago Faisal disappeared for several days before calling to say he had gone abroad to work in Dubai. They later lost contact, until just before Eid-ul-Azha when Halim last spoke with him.

“A month later police visited us in Madaripur and notified us that Faisal had gone to Pakistan, not Dubai. We tried to bring him home from Pakistan, but we could not,” he said.

Grandfather Shukkur Morol lamented, “I have nine grandchildren; Faisal was the best of them. He never missed a prayer and was a good boy. I cannot imagine him dying this way. May those responsible for leading my grandson down this path be brought to justice.”

Faisal’s maternal grandfather, Zainal Byapari, also expressed disbelief and grief. “Faisal prayed five times a day and sold caps and perfumes outside the mosque. He was religious. How did this happen? May God prevent such fate for any other person.”

Local residents and the family are demanding the repatriation of Faisal’s body and for those who recruited him to be identified and prosecuted.

“We appeal to the government to let us see the body and to bring those who led him astray to justice, so no other mother’s heart is left empty,” neighbour Achiya Begum said.

The first report of the Bangladeshi national’s death was published by the online news site, The Dissent, which traced the image of the deceased to a Pakistan-based journalist, Jawad Yousafzai, on Twitter.

The Dissent’s editor Qadaruddin Shishir said the outlet then contacted the family and confirmed the identity.

The publication noted that Bangladeshis have previously been reportedly killed fighting with the TTP in Pakistan.

The Dissent records that on 27 April this year an earlier incident in North Waziristan left 54 TTP members dead, including a Bangladeshi named Ahmed Zobayer.

Just over the past year, at least four Bangladeshis are reported to have been killed in fighting against Pakistani security forces.

Following such incidents, Bangladesh police arrested at least two people in July on suspicion of links to the TTP.

When contacted, Jahangir Alam, additional superintendent of police (crime & investigation) in Madaripur, stated, “We have learned that a young man from Madaripur died in an encounter with Pakistani security forces. If the family seeks legal assistance, we will provide it.”

Stating that if there was a mechanism to repatriate the body from Pakistan, they will pursue that, Jahangir Alam further said, “The police are also working to identify those who are encouraging youths to join jihadi activities or misinterpreting religion to promote militancy.”