Rashed Hafizur

It never occurred to Rashed, who arrived to Lebanon four years ago, that Beirut would be his last life milestone. He only wanted to work to support his family in Bangladesh, and make enough money to marry and start a family. Moreover, his family never expected him to return in a coffin, after so many years away seeking a better life.

38-year old Rashed traveled to Lebanon after his father's passing, but he was not so lucky finding a job in the beginning. He tried to be patient, and it paid off when he found a job as a cleaning person at a restaurant in Gemmayze, a neighborhood close to the Port of Beirut.

Rashed was a good employee, dedicated to his job. Every night, on his way back home, he would pass by his friend Noroul who lived close by. They would share difficult and happy moments with a group of friends, and dream of the day they would all return to their home country.

On August 4, 2020, at the time of the explosion, Rashed was on his shift at the Chinese restaurant he worked at. The restaurant was only open for delivery under the covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

At 6:07 PM, a huge explosion rocked the city of Beirut. Rashed went outside the restaurant to see what happened, but a glass panel shattered, and shards of glass fell on his chest, causing multiple injuries in different parts of his body.

Rached was evacuated to the hospital, but he died before he arrived there, leaving behind a heartbroken mother who sent off a young son to make a living, to welcome him back in a coffin.