Riyadh Airport Attack Claims Two Bangladeshi Lives, Four Hurt
A missile attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has killed two Bangladeshi citizens. Four other Bangladeshis were also hurt. They are now receiving special care in the intensive care unit (ICU) of King Khalid Hospital in Riyadh.
Foreign Affairs State Minister Shama Obaed Islam shared this sad news. She spoke to journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday afternoon. Houthi rebels carried out this attack.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement about the incident. A missile struck Terminal-3 of King Khalid International Airport. This happened around 3:20 PM on Saturday. Many passengers, including those from Bangladesh, were waiting there.
The two Bangladeshis who were killed have been identified. They are Md Shahed Ahmed from Madla village in Shahjahanpur upazila, Bogura. The other is Md Nasrullah Badarpuri from Badarpur village in Nangalkot upazila, Cumilla.
State Minister Obaed said one Bangladeshi was killed in an earlier Houthi attack. These two new deaths bring the total to 14 Bangladeshis killed. All 14 have died in conflicts in the Middle East region. Ms. Obaed stated that such deaths are “extremely painful to accept.” She hopes these attacks will stop soon.
Diplomatic sources in Riyadh confirmed more details. Bangladeshi passengers from US-Bangla Airlines, Saudia, and Riyadh Air were at the airport. They were there during the time of the attack.
Many passengers who were not hurt are now in temporary shelters. Seventeen uninjured people are staying at the Marriott Hotel. Twenty-five are at the Radisson Hotel. Forty more are at the Princess Nourah University residential hall. Two uninjured passengers are also staying with the four injured at King Khalid Hospital.
State Minister Shama Obaed Islam expressed her deep sadness over the incident. She offered prayers for those who died. She stressed the government’s top concern. This concern is the safety and well-being of Bangladeshis working abroad. The Prime Minister considers them “remittance warriors.” Their safety is a first responsibility.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines has temporarily stopped its flights to Riyadh. This decision followed the missile attack at the airport. The state minister added that the government has no information about any Bangladeshi aircraft being damaged. Flights were suspended immediately after the attack news. She hopes no such incident will happen again.
