Bangladeshi Haider wins 24-carat gold bar in UAE

After two years of trying, 31-year-old expatriate Bangladeshi Mohammad Haider Ali has won the popular Big Ticket lottery in the United Arab Emirates. He won a 24-carat gold bar in the weekly draw of the Big Ticket. Its estimated value is about 125,000 dirhams (41,60,694 taka in Bangladeshi currency).

According to a report in Gulf News on Thursday (October 30), Haider has been living in Al Ain for the past five years. He works in an electrical shop there. His family lives in Bangladesh.

Like many dreamers, he got the news of the Big Ticket lottery through a phone call from the sales team. Since then, he started buying tickets regularly, sometimes in his own name, sometimes in the name of others.

For the past two years, he and four or five of his friends had been participating in the lottery by saving money every month, hoping to win. When the show's host Richard called to tell him the news during the live draw, Haider was stunned. He asked the host, "How many grams?" He replied, "24 carats? Okay!"

He was shocked before handing the phone back to his friend, wondering if it was real or just a prank call. Ali's face lit up when he heard the price of the gold bar. "I'm so happy. It's a big surprise," he said.

Although he has not yet decided how he will spend his money, Haider said the win has filled him with new energy and hope. "It has inspired me to keep playing every month," he said.