Fire at Saudi furniture factory kills 16 Bangladeshi workers

Bangladesh's foreign ministry said on Monday it was in "deep shock" after confirming that 16 of its citizens died in a fire at a sofa factory in Saudi Arabia the previous day.

Expatriates' Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia was maintaining "constant communication" with local authorities. He said officials had been instructed to arrange the speedy repatriation of the victims' bodies and to secure government assistance and compensation for their families.

Riyadh's civil defence agency said the fire at an unlicensed facility used for furniture upholstery had been extinguished, but did not disclose any details about casualties. In a post on X, the agency said the necessary regulatory procedures had since been completed regarding the site.

A large migrant workforce

Around seven million Bangladeshis work abroad, most of them in the Middle East. Like other Gulf states, Saudi Arabia depends heavily on labourers from South Asia to support its workforce, particularly in manual labour roles.

Estimates cited in Saudi media put the number of Bangladeshi nationals living in the kingdom at more than three million. Foreign workers there fill roles ranging from management positions to street cleaning and restaurant service, in a society where many citizens are reluctant to take on jobs seen as menial.