The body of Bangladeshi migrant worker Dipali Begum, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in Lebanon, arrived at her family home in Faridpur’s Charbhadrasan upazila on Friday morning, nearly one month after her death.
Dipali Begum, aged 34, was a resident of the Purba Shalepur Munshirchar area. Her coffin reached the family courtyard at approximately 7:30am on Friday. Earlier, the aircraft carrying her remains landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 11:20pm on Thursday night.
At the airport, the body was formally handed over to family members by Shama Obayed, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs. Following official formalities, the family began the journey to Faridpur by ambulance arranged under government management.
According to family members, they reached Moinot Ghat in Dohar, Dhaka, at around 3:30am. From there, they travelled by trawler to Adarchar Ghat in Charbhadrasan before transporting the coffin by horse cart through remote char areas and unpaved village roads to the family residence.
When the body arrived at the house, relatives, including Dipali’s parents and siblings, broke down in grief. Her younger sister, Laiju Akter, said Dipali had spent her entire life working for the family and that they had never imagined she would return home in this manner.
Local residents stated that Dipali had been the sole earning member of the family after spending approximately 15 years abroad. She moved to Lebanon in 2011 at the age of 19 in search of employment opportunities and regularly sent money home to support her family’s expenses.
Speaking during the handover of the body, State Minister Shama Obayed said the government would continue efforts to support the family. She also explained that the return of the body had been delayed because of the ongoing conflict situation and disruptions to international flight operations, which complicated the repatriation process.
Timeline of Events
| Date and Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Dipali Begum travelled to Lebanon for work at the age of 19 |
| 8 April | She was seriously injured in an Israeli air strike in Beirut |
| After 8 April | She died while receiving treatment at Rafik Hariri Hospital |
| Nearly one month later | Her body was repatriated to Bangladesh |
| Thursday, 11:20pm | Flight carrying the body landed in Dhaka |
| Friday, 7:30am | Body arrived at family home in Faridpur |
| Friday, 10:00am | Funeral prayers and burial completed |
Funeral prayers were held at her residence at 10:00am on Friday, after which she was buried at a nearby graveyard. Local representatives, government officials and hundreds of villagers attended the funeral.
Confirming the matter, Md Ashik Siddiqui, Assistant Director of the Faridpur Expatriates Welfare Centre, said the family had been provided with Tk 35,000 to cover funeral expenses. He added that an additional Tk 300,000 in financial assistance would later be provided in accordance with government regulations.
Officials stated that the repatriation process took nearly a month because of wartime conditions and disrupted air travel linked to the conflict in Lebanon.