Bangladeshi expat wins around Tk50 lakh in Abu Dhabi lottery after 12 years of trying

A Bangladeshi expatriate has won Dh150,000 (around Tk50 lakh) in Big Ticket's weekly e-draw series 276, held in Abu Dhabi this month.

Mohammed Chowdhury, a long-time resident of the UAE capital, hit the jackpot with ticket number 217437, reports the Gulf News.

He has been living in Abu Dhabi for the past 20 years and first learned about Big Ticket from friends 12 years ago. Since then, he has consistently participated in the monthly draws with them.

When show host Richard called to deliver the news, Chowdhury was stunned. "Really! I can't believe it. What am I supposed to do?" he asked in disbelief.

"This is a good amount. I'm so happy," said the 41-year-old, who earns his livelihood as a house driver and also manages a small business on the side.

Chowdhury shared that he's part of several groups that pool funds to purchase tickets. "Some groups have five people, others 10 or even 20. I'm the one who buys the tickets," he said.

For this particular draw, he and his group opted for the 'Buy 2, Get 4 Free' bundle, and it was one of the free tickets that ended up securing the prize.

"It's an unexplainable feeling. Right now, the plan is to split the cash prize among my 10 friends, and then I'll decide what to do with my share," he said. Chowdhury mentioned that with his portion of the prize, he is considering expanding his business.

His winning ticket is also still eligible for the Dh25 million grand prize draw on 3 July, and he remains hopeful.

"My eyes are now on the grand prize. Big Ticket is really helping people's dreams come true, and I encourage my friends and everyone else to take part," he added.

On 3 March this year, Bangladeshi expat Jahangir Alom won an astounding Dh20 million — more than Tk65 crore — in the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket draw. Just a few months earlier, in October last year, another Bangladeshi from Chattogram, Abul Monsur, also secured the same prize amount in the same lottery.