Grief envelops Kishoreganj village as Bachhu Mia dies in missile strike in Saudi Arabia

Authorities say steps are being taken to repatriate the Bangladeshi expatriate’s body

A pall of sorrow has descended over West Pekamara village in Katiadi Upazila, Kishoreganj, following the death of 35-year-old Bachhu Mia in a missile strike in Saudi Arabia.

A father of two daughters and son of Rais Uddin, Bachhu was working at a labour camp in Al-Kharj city when the facility was struck on Sunday evening, shortly before Iftar, amid intensifying regional tensions.

On Monday, Katiadi Upazila administrator Shamima Afroj Marliz and Katiadi Model Police Station chief Mahbubur Rahman visited the family to offer condolences.

“We have provided immediate financial assistance of Tk 15,000 to the family, and further support will be arranged,” Marliz said, adding that authorities are taking steps to repatriate the body.

The casualty occurred as the Middle East conflict escalated, with US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory actions intensifying across the region.

Saudi Civil Defence posts on X (formerly Twitter) cited by Reuters and Al Jazeera reported that residential buildings in Al-Kharj were hit by “projectiles”.

Imran Hossain, a Saudi expatriate from the same locality, noted that a US military base is located near the targeted area, highlighting the risks faced by migrant workers in the conflict zone.

The village remains in mourning as families and neighbours grapple with the sudden loss, underscoring the human toll of the ongoing regional violence.