Bodies of 9 Bangladeshis Killed in Saudi Fire Arrive Home

The bodies of nine Bangladeshis killed in a fire at a sofa factory in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh have arrived in Bangladesh. They were among 16 Bangladeshis who died in the incident.

The bodies arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 4:05pm Thursday on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight (BG-430). A sombre scene unfolded at the airport as the coffins arrived.

Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury was present at the airport. After completing the necessary legal formalities, the relatives took the bodies to their respective village homes.

According to embassy sources, the fire broke out at a sofa factory in Riyadh on August 9. Sixteen Bangladeshi workers died from suffocation and burns. As the bodies could not be identified, fingerprints were used to confirm the identities of nine victims.

Seven of the identified victims were from Atrai upazila of Naogaon. They were Md Farid, Rubel Pramanik, Kalimuddin Islam, Mohan Ali, Sumon Ali, Sohel Rana and Abdul Jalil Sarker. The other two were Robiul Islam of Naldanga in Natore and Shyamal Uddin of Bagmara in Rajshahi.

The deaths have plunged the victims’ families and communities into mourning. Their relatives are now waiting to see their loved ones for the last time.