Bodies of 16 Bangladeshi killed in Saudi fire to be repatriated

The government is taking the necessary steps to repatriate the bodies of 16 Bangladeshi workers who perished in a devastating fire at a factory in Saudi Arabia, with officials confirming that the remains will be flown home once identification procedures are complete and families have given their consent.

The confirmation came from Md Kamrul Islam Bhuiyan, public relations officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who briefed journalists on Monday. The blaze broke out a day earlier, on Sunday, at a sofa-manufacturing factory in Saudi Arabia, claiming the lives of all 16 victims, who were employed at the plant.

Of those killed, 13 hailed from Atrai upazila in Naogaon, while two were residents of Naldanga upazila in Natore and one from Bagmara upazila in Rajshahi. News of the deaths plunged Atrai and Naldanga into mourning, with grief-stricken families and a wave of loss settling over the affected communities as the scale of the tragedy became clear.