Arrival of 5 bodies fills relatives with grief 

The bodies of five Bangladeshi workers from Naogaon, who were killed in a devastating fire at a sofa manufacturing factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have been brought home, bringing an end to months of uncertainty for their families.

The five victims from Naogaon are Shahin, son of Majnu Rahman of Par Naogaon in Naogaon town; Hasibul Hasan Shuvo, son of Nazmul Huda of Dubai village in Atrai upazila; Minhaz Pramanik, son of Akkas Pramanik of Madhyaboalia village; Masidul Sardar Sajib, son of Majnu Sardar of Madhabpur village; and Sagar Ali, son of Azhar Ali of Sadhanagar village.

The remains arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 8:15am on Saturday aboard a special Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, BG-336, along with those of two other Bangladeshi victims. The bodies were subsequently handed over to their families and transported to their respective villages.

The five bodies from Naogaon reached their hometowns in refrigerated hearses at around 4:30pm, triggering scenes of grief as relatives and local residents gathered to catch a final glimpse of their loved ones.

Naogaon Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saiful Islam said the bodies had been brought back at no cost under a government arrangement. The district administration is providing necessary assistance to the bereaved families, he added.

At Shahin's home in Par Naogaon, his mother, Nargis Begum, had been waiting since morning for her son's body. Overcome with grief, she repeatedly broke down in tears while relatives and neighbours gathered around the house.

Shahin had gone to Saudi Arabia in April this year after borrowing Tk 5.5 lakh, hoping to improve his family's financial condition. He left behind his wife, a six-year-old son, an eight-month-old daughter and his 60-year-old mother. 

Just five months after reaching Saudi Arabia, his dream of supporting his family ended in tragedy. "My son burned to death. The dearest person in my life has left me behind. I am all alone now. How will I survive?" his mother said through tears.

His aunt, Nilufer Yasmin, said Shahin had lost his father when he was just four years old and had grown up facing hardship. He had planned to send his first remittance shortly before his death. 

"Three days before he died, he told us he would send Tk 32,000 on the 12th. He wanted us to use Tk 20,000 to repay loan instalments and the rest for household expenses. But he died in the fire before he could send the money," she said.

His maternal uncle, Abdus Salam, urged the government to extend support to the family, which has been left in severe financial distress.

The fire broke out on August 9 at a sofa manufacturing factory in the Manfuhah area of Riyadh, killing 16 Bangladeshi workers at the scene. Of them, nine bodies were identified and repatriated on August 27. 

The identities of the remaining seven could not initially be established because their bodies were severely burned.

Their identities were subsequently confirmed through DNA testing, according to a notice issued on October 29 by the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, signed by Counsellor Muhammad Rezae Rabbi.

Of the 16 victims, 12 were from Naogaon. Seven of the district's victims were repatriated in the first phase, while the remaining five arrived on Saturday.

The repatriation process faced logistical challenges after flights from Riyadh were temporarily suspended from October 10. Under a special arrangement by the Bangladesh Embassy, the bodies were transported by road from Riyadh to Jeddah and flown to Dhaka from King Abdulaziz International Airport.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saiful Islam said the government had arranged the repatriation free of cost and assured that the administration would continue to assist the families.

The arrival of the final five bodies has brought some relief to families who had waited months for the remains of their loved ones, but the tragedy has left behind grieving relatives and families struggling with the loss of their primary breadwinners.