The bodies of seven Bangladeshi workers killed in a fire at a sofa factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have reached their home area of Atrai in Naogaon. The bodies arrived in Bangladesh from Saudi Arabia on a Bangladesh Airlines flight at 4pm and were transported by refrigerated ambulances from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, reaching Atrai around 1:30am on Thursday night.

Relatives and local residents gathered at the Atrai police station compound to see the bodies, as grief spread among the families. The deceased were identified as Md Farid, Rubel Pramanik, Mohan Ali, Suman Ali, Kalimuddin, Sohel Rana and Abdul Jalil Sardar, all from villages in Atrai Upazila.

Atrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Moniruzzaman said the administration remained in regular contact with the victims’ families and arranged ambulance transport without cost. A joint funeral prayer was scheduled for 10am on Friday at Molla Azad Memorial College field before the bodies were handed over to relatives. Authorities said 11 victims from Atrai and one from Naogaon Sadar have so far been identified, while efforts continue to bring back the remaining bodies.