No job should cost a worker their life

The heartrending deaths of 16 Bangladeshis in a fire in Saudi Arabia are a grim reminder of the risks and suffering our migrant workers endure every day. The devastating fire took place at a sofa factory in the Musa Sanaiya industrial area of Riyadh on Sunday, adding to the growing toll of migrant workers who have lost their lives abroad. Such tragedies should no longer be dismissed as a fait accompli. The safety and welfare of our workers must be placed at the top of the agenda in all negotiations concerning overseas employment.

According to the lone survivor of Sunday’s incident, Habibur Rahman, the factory had 17 workers who lived on the premises where they worked at night and slept during much of the day. Habibur survived only because he had gone to a salon when the fire broke out. While talking to this daily, a former worker from Habibur’s village said the ill-fated factory was an illegal establishment. The building, he said, had no windows, and its doors apparently remained locked from the outside. While the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the deaths await official investigation, identifying the victims is likely to be a painstaking challenge for both the Saudi authorities and the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Read more

A village in tears

The victims’ bodies have reportedly been charred beyond recognition, while their passports and other identification documents may have been destroyed in the blaze. We urge both authorities to expedite the identification process and repatriate the victims’ remains as soon as possible, with due dignity and respect. No amount of money can compensate their families for such a devastating loss, but they must receive adequate financial assistance and support anyway.

As reported by New Age, this is not the first time Bangladeshi workers have died after becoming trapped inside a burning factory in Saudi Arabia. Between February 2021 and July 2024, at least 18 Bangladeshi workers died in three separate factory fires in Riyadh and Medina. All three fires occurred at furniture factories. These repeated incidents point to a deeply concerning and persistent pattern.

The bigger question is why the death rate among migrant workers remains so high in Saudi Arabia. According to the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board, an average of around 4,800 Bangladeshi migrant workers die abroad every year, with Saudi Arabia alone accounting for more than half of these deaths. The figures include deaths from various causes, including unnatural deaths and workplace accidents.

A 2025 report by Human Rights Watch noted that migrant workers in Saudi Arabia were dying in preventable workplace accidents, including falls from buildings and electrocution. It also found that many migrant deaths were classified as “natural” without adequate investigation or compensation.

With local employment opportunities failing to grow at the pace required and youth unemployment rising, increasing numbers of young Bangladeshis are seeking opportunities abroad. The government, meanwhile, continues to encourage overseas employment amid the country’s growing reliance on remittances. It is therefore high time that the government made the welfare of migrant workers a genuine priority, ensuring their safety and taking effective measures to prevent avoidable deaths.

The Saudi authorities, too, must recognise that they can ill afford to further damage the country’s international image by allowing such glaring lapses in the working and living conditions of migrant workers to continue.