Sadek Mia, 60, worked at the MV Banglar Saurav for nearly 40 years.
His elder brother, Chowab Mia, also worked on a ship and retired two years ago.
He was supposed to return home in three to four days as his contract was coming to an end.
Sadek, son of Yunus Mia hailing from Cumilla, was killed in a fire that engulfed an oil tanker of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) at the outer anchorage of Chattogram Port at around 12:50am. It took four hours for the port authority, Coast Guard and the navy to bring the flames under control.
While other sailors were able to escape safely, Sadek lost consciousness after jumping into the sea. His body was later recovered by the Navy.
This morning, Sadek’s family received the news of his death, which spread quickly throughout the area, casting a shadow of mourning. Relatives began gathering at their home, and a grave was dug for him amid heavy rain.
Sadek’s son Salahuddin said his father was on a video call with the whole family just an hour before the accident. That was his last conversation with them.
Salahuddin shared that his whole family broke down upon hearing this shocking news.
“Just an hour ago, he was talking to everyone! He was even wearing a life jacket,” he said.
The last time he visited home was on 22 September. He attended a family wedding and then went back to Chattogram.
Sadek is survived by his three sons and a daughter.
