A.K. Muhammed Bashir at his workplace. Photo courtesy: Gulf NewsDubai: A.K. Muhammed Bashir thought it took all his luck to escape unhurt from a flight on fire. He was mistaken.
Less than a week after he survived a crash-landing at the Dubai airport, the 62-year-old expatriate from India has found out that he had won a $1 million jackpot.
Bashir, who hails from Pallikkal near Thiruvananthapuram, was one of the 300 passengers on board the Emirates flight that caught fire at the Dubai airport on August 3. He had in his pocket the lottery ticket he had bought on his way home to celebrate Eid ul Fitr last month.
When Bashir received a call on Tuesday evening informing him about the jackpot win, he thought it was just a prank. The employee of the Al Tayer Motors luxury car dealership in Dubai had been trying his luck at the lottery for 17 years. It took some time to convince him that lady luck had finally smiled on him.
Bashir handed over the lottery ticket to the authorities at the Dubai duty free jackpot on Wednesday morning. He is expected to receive the prize money soon.
The windfall does not compel Bashir to leave the city that has been his home for 37 years. He says he would continue to work in the emirate until his visa expires in December. He is way past his retirement age but his employer had extended his service.
His daughter is married and his son is disabled.
Bashir said he would use the money for charity and to find jobs for the deserving. “Most of the people just spend the money extravagantly. I want to do something that would benefit society,” he said.
Bashir was sitting in the middle of the Emirates aircraft when the fire was spotted. The passengers were evacuated just before the aircraft went up in flames. He said he was yet to recover from the shock.
The Dubai duty free lottery has helped Indians in the past too.
