Saudi Factory Fire Kills 16 Bangladeshi Workers Near Riyadh

A Saudi factory fire has killed 16 Bangladeshi migrant workers near Riyadh, plunging families in three home districts into grief. The blaze tore through a sofa-making unit in the Musa industrial area.

Saudi Civil Defence said the fire hit an unlicensed premises used for furniture upholstery. Firefighters brought it under control, but all 16 men died at the scene.

The victims came from Naogaon, Natore and Rajshahi. Bangladesh’s Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry confirmed the deaths and named the districts. Whole villages are now in mourning.

What follows the Saudi factory fire

Dhaka has ordered its embassy to stay in round-the-clock contact with Saudi authorities. Officials pledged to bring the bodies home quickly and secure compensation for the families.

The disaster spotlights the risks facing Bangladesh’s millions of Gulf workers. Their remittances prop up the national economy, yet many labour in unlicensed, unsafe sites with little protection.

Campaigners have long urged tougher safety inspections and clearer recruiter accountability. Each tragedy renews those calls, then fades. Grieving relatives want more than sympathy this time.

For related coverage, read FTD on the record gold price squeezing Bangladeshi households. The deaths were confirmed by The Daily Star.

Fact basis: The Daily Star, Gulf News and Bangladesh’s Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry, 10–12 August 2026.