Bangladeshi worker, child in Lebanon died after consuming poison

A Bangladeshi worker and her child have died after consuming poison in Lebanon.

Shirin Khatun took and gave her two children poison. Khadiza, Shirin's daughter, died but son, Mahmud, survived and is now out of danger.

According to her neighbours who are Bangladeshi, she tried to commit suicide due to failure in paying off her husband's debts.

The tragic incident happened on August 16 in Sabra Bazar area in Beirut, capital of Lebanon. The Bangladesh Embassy in Beirut confirmed the information of deaths.

Shirin's daughter Khadiza died at Makassed General Hospital in Beirut, two days after the incident happened. Shirin, hailing from Bangladesh's Cumilla district, died at the hospital the next day.

Her neighbours said that Shirin had been living with her husband – Raju Uddin – in the area. Two years ago, Raju borrowed a large sum of money from some Bangladeshis and returned to Bangladesh.

Since then, the Bangladeshis who lent the money to Raju had been pressuring Shirin to pay the loans off. Shirin contacted Raju and repeatedly requested to return the money.

The couple often argued over the phone. It was not possible for Shirin to repay the loan, the neighbours said.

In a video message from Bangladesh, Shirin's mother Monowara Begum blamed Raju for the death of her daughter and granddaughter. She requested Bangladesh embassy to bring back her daughter's body.

Abdullah Al Mamun, counsellor of the Bangladesh Embassy, said the body of Khadiza was buried in Lebanon under the supervision of the embassy. The process of sending Shirin's body to her family is underway.

The writer is an expatriate journalist in Lebanon.