Families of 16 Bangladeshis killed in Saudi fire to receive special grants

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed that one-time special humanitarian assistance be provided to the families of the 16 Bangladeshis killed in the devastating fire at a sofa factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A high-level inter-ministerial coordination meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, August 10, in the wake of the incident. The meeting was attended by the Foreign Secretary, the Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, a representative of the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh (virtually), the Police Special Branch, the Wage Earners' Welfare Board, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), and senior officials from Biman Bangladesh Airlines and other relevant departments and agencies.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the information in a press release. The press release said the coordination meeting expressed deep grief over the tragic accident and stressed the need for rapid identification of the bodies, repatriation to the country under government management, and providing all necessary humanitarian assistance to the bereaved families.

According to the decisions taken at the meeting, the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, in coordination with Saudi authorities and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, will arrange for rapid identification of the bodies. After the identification process, the bodies will be repatriated and buried at government expense following the formalities and instructions of the Saudi authorities. Additionally, under the Prime Minister's special directive, each of the families of the 16 deceased will receive a one-time special humanitarian grant.

The concerned district administrations have already contacted the families of the deceased and provided each family with Tk 20,000 in special assistance. The Bangladesh Embassy and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare are maintaining round-the-clock communication with the families of the deceased workers.

It may be noted that on Sunday, August 9, 16 Bangladeshis lost their lives in a fire at a sofa factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.