Seven Naogaon workers killed in Riyadh fire return home

The bodies of seven Bangladeshi workers from Naogaon’s Atrai upazila who were killed in a devastating fire at a sofa manufacturing factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have been brought back to their hometown.

A joint funeral prayer for the seven victims is scheduled to be held at 10am on Friday (August 28) at the Atrai Molla Azad Memorial College premises.

The bodies will be handed over to their families after the funeral, according to the upazila administration.

The identities were officially confirmed through fingerprint verification by Saudi authorities, according to a notice signed by Muhammad Rezae Rabbi, counsellor at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh.

A total of 16 Bangladeshi workers were killed in the fire at the sofa factory in Riyadh. Saudi authorities have so far confirmed the identities of nine of the victims through fingerprint testing.

The seven victims from Atrai have been identified as Farid, son of Moyeen Uddin of Udanpoy village; Rubel Pramanik, son of Saidur Rahman; Mohan Ali and Suman Ali, sons of Guffar Pramanik; and Kolimuddin, son of Bazlur Rahman, all from Gondogohali village; Sohel Rana, son of Badal Tarfadar of Dubai village; and Abdul Jalil Sardar, son of Tamez Uddin Sardar of Parkasunda village.

Atrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer Moniruzzaman said 11 victims from Atrai have now been officially identified, although initial reports had put the number of deaths from the upazila at 13. Another victim from Naogaon Sadar has also been identified.

“The administration has remained in regular contact with the bereaved families,” Moniruzzaman said. “Necessary documents have already been sent to Saudi Arabia, while the bodies were brought to Atrai by hired ambulances at no cost to the families.”

He said the bodies would be handed over to relatives after the funeral prayer, while efforts are continuing to repatriate the remaining victims’ bodies.

The administration has been coordinating the repatriation process and providing necessary assistance to the affected families.