Hyderabad family faces despair as expat’s death in Makkah leaves them searching for answers

The poor family is finding it hard to come to terms with the tragedy that has befallen them when they received a call from Saudi Arabia that their sole bread winner Shaikh Ahmed was no more.

Jeddah: Thirteen-year-old Saleha is in despair when she hears of other girls boasting bout thier fathers coming for Eid and bringing a variety of gifts.

She met her father, Shaikh Ahmed, six years ago when he visited Hyderabad since then she along with her six siblings were desperately waiting to see their Saudi-based father. However, Saleha and other her siblings lost hope to see their beloved father.

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The poor family is finding it hard to come to terms with the tragedy that has befallen them when they received a call from Saudi Arabia that their sole bread winner Shaikh Ahmed was no more.

The family came to know following a struggle of seven months that their father died in a hospital in Makkah.

Shaikh Ahmed spoke to his family last time on August 9 last year to inform them that he was travelling to Makkah to perform Umrah, since then there was no word from him.

Days, weeks, and months passed and frightened wife Rasheedunnisa ran from pillar to post to trace her husband.

The Indian consulate recently informed the family that Shaikh Ahmed had died on Septemberm14 last year and buried in Makkah on December 13.

It also noted that Shaikh Ahmed was buried without notification to Indian authorities. “My husband died. I want to know how and under which circumstances he died, and we have no information”, said Rasheedunnisa.

Hailing from Jahanuma locality in old city of Hyderabad, Shaikh Ahmed was working in Riyadh doing odd jobs to secure a decent life for his family, consisting of a wife, five daughters and two minor sons, back home in India.

The family has been facing dire hardships since his death.