They had crossed the seas with dreams of life on foreign soil to one day lift the burden of debt. Some aimed to rebuild their households, others to secure their children’s futures, or to return to their wives and kin after finishing the incomplete construction of their brick houses.
Those dreams were slowly moving towards reality, but a devastating fire turned everything into ash in an instant. Sixteen people were burnt to death in a horrific fire at a sofa-making factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Of the victims, 13 were residents of Atrai Upazila in Naogaon.
In villages such as Gondogohali, Ujanpai, and Dobai, the wait for the return of loved ones has begun. However, there is no joy in this waiting, nor any preparation to welcome them at the airport; the only wait now is for their kin to arrive in coffins.
The tragedy struck on Sunday afternoon at a sofa factory in the Musa Sanaiya industrial area, under the jurisdiction of the Shifa police station in Riyadh.
A mother’s lament, a 14-day-old orphan
The villages are now heavy with the sound of wailing and lamentation. Households that had found comfort through the money sent by these expatriates are now engulfed in mourning.
Among the deceased, four hailed from the same village – Mohan Pramanik, his younger brother Suman Pramanik, Rubel Pramanik, and Kalimullah Pramanik, all from Gondogohali in Kalikapur Union.
Other victims from the district include Sagar from Sadnagar; Majidul and Abdul Jalil from Khorosrota; Farid Sheikh from Ujanpai; Suman and Hasibul Hasan Shuvo from Dubai village; Hridoy from Boala; Minhaj from Madhya Boalia; and Shahin from the Par-Naogaon area.
At the home of Mohan and Suman, their mother, Moyna Khatun, was found lamenting as she recalled her sons’ plans to finish their building and for Suman to marry.
“My eldest son went seven years ago, and the second one two years ago,” she cried, noting they had never come home on leave. In the same village, Rubel Pramanik had become a father just 14 days ago.
His father, Mohammad Saidur, lamented that he has nothing left to look forward to, as his son left behind a 14-day-old child.
Financial ruins, allegations of locked doors
Farid Sheikh of Ujanpai was the sole breadwinner for his family and had moved to Saudi Arabia 18 months ago to clear debts. His father, Moyen Sheikh, asked in despair how he would now pay off the loans or run the household.
Farid leaves behind a wife and a two-year-old daughter who face a future of total uncertainty.
Meanwhile, Anwarul Islam, the uncle of the deceased Hasibul Hasan Shuvo, alleged that the factory’s main gate was locked from the outside.
He added that because the workers laboured at night and slept during the day, they were unable to escape the locked building when the fire broke out.
Hasibul, a BA graduate and former NGO worker, had moved to Saudi Arabia three years ago to provide for his family.
Naogaon Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Saiful Islam said the Labour Welfare Wing of the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia is working to identify the victims and repatriate the bodies.
He assured that the government and local administration are taking all necessary steps to ensure the remains are brought home as quickly as possible following due process.
