Nine Bangladeshi workers killed in Saudi factory fire

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Nine of the 16 Bangladeshi workers who died in a factory fire in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh on August 9 have been identified, and their bodies were brought back to Bangladesh on Thursday.

The bodies arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, according to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

Saudi authorities identified the nine victims through fingerprint tests. Seven were from Atrai upazila in Naogaon, while the other two were from Naldanga in Natore and Bagmara in Rajshahi. Four of the identified victims were from the same village, and two were siblings.

Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury and Foreign Affairs State Minister Shama Obaed Islam were present at the airport to receive the bodies.

The remaining seven victims could not be identified through fingerprint tests. DNA samples have been collected from their relatives, and efforts are underway to identify and repatriate their bodies, the ministers said.

Families of each of the nine identified victims will receive Tk3.35 lakh in financial assistance. Of this amount, Tk35,000 will cover transportation and burial costs, while Tk3 lakh will be provided as a one-time grant.

The ministry has also arranged ambulances to transport the bodies directly from the airport to their respective villages.