United News of Bangladesh

A joint namaz-e-janaza was held on Friday for seven victims of the Riyadh sofa factory fire who hailed from Naogaon district. The janaza was held at the Molla Azad Memorial College ground in Atrai upazila around 10:15am. The bodies were later handed over to the families of the deceased, who took them to their respective villages for burial.Earlier, the bodies of nine Bangladeshi nationals who died in the Saudi Arabia fire arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka around 4:00pm on Thursday. Seven of the deceased were from Atrai upazila of Naogaon. At least 16 Bangladeshis were killed in a fire at a sofa factory in Saudi Arabia on August 9. With assistance from the local administration, the bodies were taken to Atrai around 1:30am on Friday. The bodies, kept in hearses, remained on the Atrai Police Station premises until morning. The deceased were identified as Md Farid, son of Moin Uddin of Udonpai village; Rubel Pramanik, son of Saidur Rahman; Mohan Ali; Sumon Ali; Kalimuddin, son of Bazlur Rahman; Sohel Rana, son of Badal Tarafdar of Dubai village; and Abdul Jalil Sardar, son of Tamez Uddin Sardar of Parkasunda village. Naogaon-6 MP Sk Md Rejaul Islam, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Saiful Islam, Additional Superintendent of Police Mohammad Monirul Islam, Atrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Moniruzzaman, Officer-in-Charge of Atrai Police Station Mahbub Alam and local residents attended the janaza. After the prayer, the bodies were handed over to the relatives, who left for their respective villages. Naogaon-6 MP Rejaul said the families of the deceased had received assistance from the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board. “The government will continue to support the families. The process of bringing the remaining bodies back to the country is also underway,” he said.

The bodies of seven workers from Naogaon who were killed in a fire at a sofa factory in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh will arrive in Bangladesh on Thursday. The Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh confirmed this in a press release signed by its Counsellor Muhammad Reza E Rabbi on Tuesday. According to the release, 16 Bangladeshi workers died in the sofa factory fire. Saudi authorities have so far identified nine victims through fingerprint verification. The bodies, including those of the seven workers from Naogaon, will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 4:05pm on Thursday on Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-340. The seven deceased from Atrai upazila are Mohammad Farid, son of Moien Uddin of Udonpoi village; Rubel Pramanik, son of Saidur Rahman; Mohan Ali and Sumon Ali; Kalimuddin, son of Guffar Pramanik, all of Gandagohali village; Sohel Rana, son of Badal Tarafdar of Dubai village; and Abdul Jalil Sardar, son of Tamez Uddin Sardar of Markasunda village. Atrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Moniruzzaman said the administration has been in constant contact with the deceased's families and sent the necessary documents to Saudi Arabia. He said the administration has also arranged ambulances to transport the bodies from the airport to their respective homes free of cost. "So far, the bodies of seven identified workers from Atrai are being brought back," the UNO said, adding that efforts are under way to bring back the remaining bodies. Meanwhile, the district and upazila administrations, in consultation with the families, have taken an initiative to hold a joint namaz-e-janaza for the seven victims at the Molla Azad Memorial College ground in Atrai upazila headquarters at around 10am on Friday. After the funeral, the bodies will be handed over to their respective families, the UNO said.