Breadwinner's death leaves Ruby, 4 kids in despair

Despite leading a struggling family, Ruby Akhter lived happily with her husband, Manjur Alam, their three daughters, and son in a tin-shed house she built on her husband's ancestral land on a hill slope in Kashempara, Bandarban city.

The sudden death of her husband in a road accident shattered her happiness, bringing overwhelming sorrow and misery to the once-happy family in an instant.

On October 30, 2017, Manjur, a transport worker in the Shailshoba area, died in a road accident in Ruma Upazila. Without the family's sole breadwinner, Ruby and her children are now living in dire conditions. Relying on help from her in-laws and her father’s house, she struggles to survive, often without enough food or necessities.

With the help of relatives and neighbors, her eldest daughter, Nasrin Akhter, has been married off.

Due to financial struggles, Ruby sent her only son, Sajjad Hossain, to an orphanage, where the fatherless boy is studying at a madrasa. Her eldest daughter, Jamie Akhter, passed her SSC but couldn't enroll in college due to financial constraints. The youngest daughter, Sidratul Muntaha, is currently in the ninth grade at Bandarban Government Girls High School.

Upon visiting Kashempara, it was found that Ruby Akhter is living with her children in a single tin-shed house, the only property her husband left for the family. After his death, she received 40,000 taka from the transport association. "The association and car company made no further inquiries," she said.

"Since my husband's death, all I have seen is darkness. Our family has endured extreme poverty and hardship for seven years. If we get one meal with the help of relatives, we often go without food the next," Ruby sighed.

Sidratul Muntaha, Ruby's younger daughter, tearfully recalled her father. She said, "I lost my father when I was seven, and I feel so sad about it. As a child, I dreamed of joining the army or police after finishing my education to serve the country. Now, I plan to try for the army or police after SSC. I want to work and support my mother and family. I'm unsure if my dream will come true, but whenever I can, I volunteer with the fire service during natural disasters."

Abdul Kuddus, president of the Shailshoba Transport Owner-Worker Unity Council, said, "Workers receive precautionary advice to prevent road accidents, and one-time donations are provided by organizations to the families of those who die in accidents."

He also advised the leaders of owner-worker organizations to monitor the families of those who died in road accidents and the injured.

Md Shahidullah Kawsar, superintendent of Bandarban Police, said, "To prevent accidents, there must be discipline on the road, with both drivers and pedestrians following traffic laws. Adhering to rules and regulations will reduce accidents and save lives."

"The traffic police are conducting various awareness programs to promote road discipline and prevent accidents," he added.