At least 16 Bangladeshi workers were killed in a fire that broke out on August 9 at a sofa factory in Khordam city, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia around 3:30 p.m. local time [1, 2, 3]. The victims came from the Naogaon, Natore, and Rajshahi districts in Bangladesh [1, 3].
The Bangladesh Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep grief and extended condolences to the families of those who died [1, 2, 3]. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "The Honourable Foreign Minister and Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs have expressed deep grief and heartfelt condolences over the tragic loss of 16 Bangladeshi nationals in a devastating fire at a sofa factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, yesterday" [2].
Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Bangladesh Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, called the deaths "very heartbreaking" and noted the victims’ significant contribution to Bangladesh’s economy [3].
The Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh is maintaining 24-hour contact with local authorities to coordinate victim identification and facilitate repatriation of the bodies to Bangladesh [1, 2, 3].
Bangladesh has approximately 3.5 million migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, who sent over $2.7 billion in remittances last year [3].
On August 10, Bangladesh government ministries and the embassy issued official statements to offer support to the families and manage the aftermath of the tragedy [1, 2, 3].
The embassy and government officials are expected to continue coordinating with Saudi authorities in the coming days to complete victim identification and arrangements for transporting remains back to Bangladesh.
