Family reunited after 18 years

When Dollar Mahmud was 10, his father, Robiul Karim, left for Malaysia, hoping to secure a better future for his family.

Robiul, a resident of Bholahat upazila in Chapainawabganj, went on a visit visa. However, complications with his visa and passport left him stranded, unable to return home.

Over time, he lost his passport, and all attempts to reunite with his family failed.

For 18 long years, Robiul remained stuck in a foreign land, far from the family he had left behind.

Dollar, alongside his siblings Abdul Hanif and Dali Ara Khatun, gradually lost hope, believing they would never see their father again.

But after nearly two decades, the siblings finally reunited with their father yesterday.

The long-awaited reunion took place when Robiul landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on a US-Bangla flight at 5:45pm and Dollar and his siblings finally got to embrace their father after 18 years of separation.

For Dollar and his siblings, the reunion was more than just having their father back -- it marked the end of an 18-year journey filled with struggle, longing, and hope.

Dollar, now 28, told The Daily Star, "I often asked myself if I would ever see my father again."

Overwhelmed by emotion, he struggled to say much more.

For years, Dollar and his siblings visited countless offices and sought help from numerous people to bring their father back, but each attempt ended in heartbreak.

Two months ago, however, hope was reignited when a person provided Dollar with the address of the BRAC Migration Welfare Centre.

Without delay, he went to BRAC, where his journey to reunite with his father finally found a ray of hope.

BRAC gathered the necessary details and started working to resolve the complexities surrounding Robiul's return.

Their efforts bore fruit yesterday, bringing an end to the 18-year-long wait and struggle.