Three men from the same village in Bangladesh came to Singapore to work and remained in close contact here. They even flew home together last year for Hari Raya.

But a horrific collision last Saturday along New Upper Changi Road left two of them dead. The bodies of the two construction workers, Mr Abu Bakar Siddique, 27, and Mr Robin Siddique Mollah, 28, will be flown back to Bangladesh on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Md Matin Rahman, who is Mr Abu's cousin and a friend of Mr Robin, said that he was at work at a site in Suntec City on Saturday afternoon when he received a call at 1pm telling him of the accident. The two workers, employed by Ser Chuan Construction, were laying cables and unloading goods from behind a stationary lorry when a red van slammed into the lorry.

Mr Robin's body was found behind the lorry while Mr Abu Bakar, crushed between the vehicles, had to be extricated using hydraulic rescue tools, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

They were both pronounced dead at scene by paramedics, while a third worker who had been flung to the side of the road was conveyed conscious to Changi General Hospital. Mr Matin said both men had extensive injuries to the backs of their heads.

Said Mr Matin, choking back tears: "This year Hari Raya, just I go back Bangladesh."