Unending tragedy unfolds for Moyna

For Moyna Khatun, the tragedy in Saudi Arabia is not simply a distant disaster that claimed the lives of 16 Bangladeshis. 

The Riyadh fire has torn apart her family, taking both of her sons, Sumon and Mohan, from Gandagohali village in Atrai, Naogaon.

Just hours before the tragedy, Moyna had spoken to her elder son on Sunday morning. There was nothing in his voice to suggest that it would be their last conversation.

“He told me, ‘Mom, I’m fine. Please eat well and take care of yourself. My brother has gone to deliver some goods. He’ll be back soon,’” she recalled.
Soon after, everything changed.

At least 16 Bangladeshis were killed in a devastating fire at a sofa-making factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday. One Bangladeshi worker, Habibur Rahman Habib, survived because he had stepped out for a haircut shortly before the fire broke out.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh confirmed the deaths. According to Atrai Upazila Executive Officer Md Moniruzzaman, 11 of the victims were from Atrai, while the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry said 13 victims were from the upazila.

The victims were identified as Farid, Shuvo, Md Rubel Pramanik, Sumon, Md Kalim Uddin, Md Mohan, Md Sumon, Minhaj, Hridoy, Shahin, Abdul Jalil, Majidul, Sagar, Shamim, Sabbir and Shyamal.

Shamim and Sabbir were from Naldanga upazila of Natore, while Shyamal was from Bagmara upazila of Rajshahi.

But in Gandagohali, the numbers mean little to Moyna. For her, the tragedy has two names: Sumon and Mohan.

As she struggled to speak through tears, Moyna recalled a voice message her son sent after the fire broke out.

“Mom, please stop talking. I can’t talk anymore. There’s a fire. I’m burning. I’m dying, Mom,” he said.

Those frantic words are now the last memory she has of her son.

Sumon had spent seven years in Saudi Arabia, while Mohan had been there for two years. Neither had returned home for a holiday during that time.

Mohan often spoke of coming back, getting married and completing work on their family home.

“Mohan used to tell me, ‘Mom, we’ll get married after we return home. Don’t worry about choosing a bride. We’ll meet several girls and choose one. We’ll also complete the work on our house,’” Moyna recalled.
Those plans have now been reduced to memories.

The fire broke out around 2pm local time at the sofa factory in the Musa Sanaiya industrial area under the Shifa police station in Riyadh. The factory was operated by Bangladeshi workers who made and sold furniture themselves.

Saudi fire service personnel rushed to the scene and began rescue operations. According to information provided by the Bangladesh Embassy to the Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry, the fire is initially believed to have started from an electrical short circuit.

The embassy’s Labour Wing said all 16 bodies were recovered and the rescue operation ended around 11pm local time.

Habibur Rahman told embassy officials that 17 workers were inside the factory when the fire broke out. He had gone to a salon at around 1:30pm for a haircut and found the factory engulfed in flames when he returned.

Local fire service officials told the embassy that eight victims died from burns, while the others died from suffocation after inhaling thick black smoke.

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury expressed deep shock over the deaths and said steps had been taken to repatriate the bodies, hand them over to the families and provide necessary government assistance and compensation.

The Foreign Ministry said the Bangladesh Embassy was working with Saudi authorities to identify the victims and complete the formalities for bringing the bodies home.

An embassy delegation reached the scene soon after receiving the news and began gathering information. The embassy said it was taking steps to confirm the identities of the deceased, complete legal procedures and assist the victims’ families.

For Moyna, however, the official procedures cannot ease the silence that has descended on her home.

The plans her sons once spoke of - marriage, returning home and finishing their house - now remain unfinished.

And the voice that told her, just hours earlier, to eat well and take care of herself has become a memory she will carry for the rest of her life.