A major fire at ​a sofa manufacturing factory ‌in Riyadh, the Saudi ​capital, killed 16 Bangladeshi ⁠migrant workers, officials in Dhaka said on Monday (August 10, 2026).

The fire broke out on ‌Sunday (August 9, 2026) in the ‌Musa ⁠Sanaiya industrial area.

Bangladesh’s ⁠Ministry of Foreign Affairs is monitoring the situation, while officials ​from the ‌Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh are working with Saudi authorities to complete ‌the repatriation formalities.

Expatriates’ ​Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque ⁠Choudhury has instructed officials to bring back the ‌bodies as soon as possible and ensure necessary government assistance and compensation for the bereaved families.

With ‌around 3.5 million Bangladeshis ​living in Saudi Arabia, the country remains ⁠the largest destination for Bangladeshi ⁠migrant workers, who sent home more ‌than $2.7 billion in remittances last year.