A day before the Big Ticket draw, 50-year-old Abul Monsur Abdul Sabur and his friends were sitting at a cafeteria, pondering the unthinkable: “What if we win?” Monsur, a Bangladeshi construction worker who has been participating in the draw for the last 16 years, recalled, “We didn’t talk about such things before.” As usual, the expat, along with 11 of his family and friends, bought five tickets in mid-September and then promptly forgot about them.

“One of my friends remembered and asked what I would do if we won this time,” Monsur told Khaleej Times. Dreaming of becoming a millionaire, he expressed his desire to secure his family's future and fund his children's education. Little did Monsur know, his wishful thinking would soon become a reality. Their big dream came true on Thursday when Big Ticket's Richard and Bouchra called him with the life-changing news. He, his family, and friends had won Dh20 million.

Initially, Monsur thought it was a prank and dismissed the call, telling the caller not to joke around. “But then they told me my winning number and the voice on the other end sounded serious,” he said. He quickly shared the news with his group, and they began checking their emails and the Big Ticket website. “We couldn’t believe it, and I was speechless,” he admitted.

Monsur has been buying raffle tickets for 16 years. He joined Big Ticket a year after arriving in the UAE in 2007. “I don’t know how much money I have spent on tickets over these years. But finally, the wait was over,” he said.

In splitting the prize money among the 11 ticket-buyers, there would be some calculations involved: Some contributed Dh50, others Dh100, and a few gave Dh200. Monsur contributed Dh100. The prize will then be divided based on one's share.

Monsur has clear plans for his winnings. Part of it will go into making a lifelong dream come true: to start a business. “I have wanted to start a business for a long time, but I never had the funds. Now, with this win, I can finally plan for it,” he said, adding he hasn't decided yet whether to do it in the UAE or back in Bangladesh.

Asked whether he would quit his job, the expat said he doesn't have immediate plans yet. Besides the business venture, Monsur will focus on ensuring his children finish school — a goal he’s held close to his heart throughout his years of hard work.