Police in Oman have launched an investigation into the deaths of four expatriate Bangladeshi brothers. Citing the Royal Oman Police, a report published in the Times of Oman said the four died after inhaling carbon monoxide gas emitted from the air conditioner exhaust while the vehicle’s engine was running. Following the incident, police issued a warning against sleeping inside enclosed vehicles.

Leaders of the Chattogram Association Oman told that on Wednesday evening, the four brothers were travelling from the Barka area to Muladdah in Oman. After 8:00 pm, one of them sent a voice message to a relative saying they were feeling ill. Sending their location, he said they were in no condition to even get out of the vehicle.They were having difficulty breathing and foaming from their mouths and noses. They also called their mother and asked for prayers. Later, local residents spotted the four unconscious inside a vehicle parked in front of a clinic and informed the police. Police arrived at the scene, opened the vehicle, and recovered their bodies.

The four deceased brothers were Rashidul Islam, Shahedul Islam, Sirajul Islam, and Shahidul Islam.

Meanwhile, relatives confirmed this afternoon, Saturday, that the bodies of the four expatriate brothers are expected to arrive in Bangladesh next Tuesday afternoon. The victims’ relatives, the Bangladesh Embassy, and leaders of the Chattogram Association Oman have completed arrangements to bring all four bodies home on the same flight.

Even after three days, their mother Khadija Begum has still not been told that her sons are dead. She has only been informed that they are ill and receiving treatment in hospital. Since hearing that they were sick, she herself has fallen ill. Fearing that she would not be able to bear the shock of the news in her current physical condition, the family has withheld the truth from her.

To ensure that no relatives or neighbours accidentally inform her, her only surviving son, Mohammad Enam (32), has locked the gate of the house. Enam lives with his mother in Rangunia, Chattogram.

Friday afternoon, local BNP Member of Parliament Hummam Quader Chowdhury visited the Lalanagar Bandarajpara Mosque in Rangunia, offered prayers, and spoke with relatives of the deceased brothers. He said initiatives would be taken to bring the bodies home and also promised support for the family.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Nazmul Hasan, local BNP and affiliated organisation leaders, and prominent local residents accompanied Hummam Quader Chowdhury during the visit.

Meanwhile, burial arrangements for the four brothers have already been decided. They will be buried side by side in the graveyard. Emran Hossain, a maternal cousin of the deceased brothers, told that the impoverished family had begun to see financial stability through the remittances sent by the brothers abroad.

Mohammad Yasin Chowdhury, president of the Chattogram Association Oman, told, After the deaths of the four brothers, we have been in constant contact with the embassy and the Omani government. About 80 per cent of the process to send the bodies home quickly has been completed. We hope the bodies of all four brothers will be sent together on a flight from Oman to Bangladesh next Tuesday afternoon.

He said the expenses for repatriating the bodies would be borne by the victims’ relatives and the Chattogram Association Oman. Since the incident was not a road accident, the Omani government will not cover the costs. All four deceased were between 25 and 35 years old.

Following the incident, the Royal Oman Police urged everyone not to sleep inside enclosed vehicles because of the risk of suffocation from toxic gas.

sunnews/ra