A Bangladeshi expatriate named Mohammad Naser Mohammad Belal has won AED 25 million (approximately BDT 80 crore) in the popular Big Ticket raffle draw held in Abu Dhabi, marking one of the largest lottery wins for a Bangladeshi abroad.
The news came right after Mohammad Chowdhury won AED 150,000 in the weekly e-draw on 28 June.
Earlier in March this year, Bangladeshi expat Jahangir Alom won an astounding Dh20 million (over Tk65 crore) in the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket draw. And in October 2024, Abul Monsur, a Bangladeshi hailing from Chattogram, also secured the same prize amount in the same lottery.
The lucky winner has been living in Abu Dhabi for the past 14 years. A 43-year-old electrician by profession, Belal has been participating in the Big Ticket raffle for the last 12 years, purchasing tickets jointly with five of his friends every month.
Belal’s winning ticket, number 061080, was purchased from the Abu Dhabi International Airport counter for draw series 276, held on 24 June. Overcome with emotion upon hearing the news, he said, “I’m still shaking. I can’t believe this is real!”
Initially, Big Ticket hosts Richard and Bushra tried repeatedly to reach him by phone but failed. Later, the Big Ticket team managed to contact him and confirm his win.
Speaking about his future plans, Belal said, “I’ll split the prize money with my five friends. With my share, the first thing I’ll do is build a house for my family in Bangladesh.” When asked about the rest of the money, he replied, “I’ll take some time to decide.”
Despite winning this life-changing amount, Belal says he plans to continue participating in the draw. “Big Ticket has given me more than I ever dreamed of. I’m truly grateful,” he said.
Notably, Big Ticket, established in 1992 at Abu Dhabi International Airport, is the largest and longest-running raffle draw in the region, usually offering winners with cash prizes or luxury cars.