Nine Bangladeshi victims of Saudi factory fire repatriated to Dhaka

The remains of nine Bangladeshi workers, who were among 16 killed in a devastating factory fire in Saudi Arabia, were repatriated to Dhaka on Thursday afternoon. The bodies arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport via a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight.

The tragedy occurred on August 9 when a massive fire broke out at a sofa manufacturing factory in Riyadh, claiming the lives of 16 Bangladeshi nationals. Saudi authorities initiated an identification process shortly after the incident, eventually confirming the identities of nine victims through fingerprint analysis.

Among the deceased brought home, seven were residents of Atrai Upazila in Naogaon district, identified as Md. Farid, Rubel Pramanik, Kalimuddin Islam, Mohan Ali, Suman Ali, Sohel Rana, and Abdul Jalil Sarkar. The other two victims were identified as Rabiul Islam from Naldanga Upazila in Natore and Shyamal Uddin from Bagmara Upazila in Rajshahi.

Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam were present at the airport to receive the remains. Moniruzzaman, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Atrai, represented the Naogaon district administration during the handover.

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Following the arrival, UNO Moniruzzaman confirmed that the bodies were received at approximately 4:30 p.m. in the presence of government officials and family members of the deceased. The remains were subsequently transported to their respective home districts by road.

A communal funeral prayer, known as Janaza, is scheduled for Friday at 10:00 a.m. at the Atrai Molla Azad Memorial Government College ground. Following the prayer, the victims will be laid to rest in their respective villages.

Naogaon Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saiful Islam stated that authorities are continuing efforts to identify the remaining seven victims who perished in the fire. Officials are currently utilizing DNA testing to confirm their identities, with plans to repatriate those remains once the process is complete.