Deepali Akhter’s life was defined by a relentless struggle against poverty. Growing up in the remote char areas of the Padma River, she often went hungry. As a child, she caught fish and sold cashew flowers to help her family survive. Driven by a desire to change their fortune, Deepali migrated to Lebanon, eventually becoming the sole architect of her family’s prosperity.
That journey ended in tragedy last Wednesday when Deepali, a resident of Char Hajiganj village in Faridpur’s Charbhadrasan Upazila, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
Deepali first traveled to Lebanon as a domestic worker in 2011 at just 19 years old. Her hard work transformed her family's life; she funded her two sisters' weddings and replaced their dilapidated hut with a sturdy tin-shaded house. Although she prioritized her siblings' futures, she never married.
After a brief return to Bangladesh in 2018, she flew back to Lebanon in 2023. However, her second stint was marred by illness and, eventually, the outbreak of war.
Her sister, Laiju Begum, recalled their final phone call on Wednesday night. "She told me she was in great pain. She had moved to a new area with her employers to escape the heavy shelling, eating only two pieces of bread a day. She hoped to return to her workplace once the war ended."
That was the last time the family heard her voice. Deepali’s father, Sheikh Mofazzel, who lost his wife to a lightning strike eight years ago, is now pleading with the government for one final wish: "I want to see my daughter’s face one last time and give her a proper burial in her homeland."
Local UP Member Sheikh Falu described the death as a "terrible loss for the community," noting the family's extreme vulnerability.
Charbhadrasan Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Suraiya Momtaz confirmed that authorities are in contact with the bereaved family. "The diplomatic process to repatriate the body has begun. We are standing by the family and will ensure the remains are brought home as quickly as possible," she stated.
