Abu Dhabi: A Bangladeshi expat living in Dubai since 2004 has won Dh1 million in the Big Ticket lottery.
Mantu Chandradas, a 44-year-old father of an 8-month-old baby boy, was one of 12 winners in the series 265 live draw held on August 3.
Chandradas said his life took an unexpected turn that day when he discovered he had won the lottery.
“I learnt about Big Ticket from Facebook after seeing so many winners. I thought, why not try my luck as well,” he said.
“I usually purchase my tickets online, but this was my first time purchasing the ticket from the Big Ticket store at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. I went there to pick up a friend and passed by the Big Ticket store, the sales associate told me about the ‘Buy 2 Get 3’ offer, so I decided to try my luck with five tickets. I didn’t expect that one of the free tickets would change my life and bring me Dh1 million. I am overjoyed with my win.”
Hard to believe
Chandradas found out about his win from his father-in-law, who also buys Big Ticket regularly. “My father-in-law checked the website and saw my name. He sent me a screenshot asking if it was my ticket or someone with a similar name. I confirmed it was me, but even then, I couldn’t believe it, my wife still finds it hard to believe”
When asked about his plans for the prize money, Mantu said, “This prize is a blessing from God, and I plan to use it to improve my life and help my family.”
Besides the first and second prize winners, there are 10 other cash prize winners, each winning Dh100,000. The winners are from the UAE, India, the Philippines, and Iran.
Customers who purchase their Big Tickets throughout the month of August will stand a chance to be named the grand prize winner and walk away with Dh15 million during the live draw on September 3.
Anyone who purchases cash prize tickets will also be entered into an electronic draw the day after the purchase.
