Three Bangladeshis were killed in fire and two received minor injuries in Manama, Bahrain early yesterday.
The deceased were Dulal Mia, 30, son of Siddiqur Rahman from Mainamati union’s Ziapur village in Burchang upazila of Comilla, Jalal Uddin, 30, son of Abdul Gafur from Rampur village of Varel union under the same upazila and Mosharraf Hossain, 32, son of Nazim Mia from same village, according to the family sources of the dead, reports our Comilla correspondent.
The identities the two injured could not be known immediately.
“I have visited the spot twice and dead bodies of the victims were kept at Salmania Medical Centre in Manama,” Bangladesh Embassy to Bahrain First Secretary (labour) Md Mohidul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday. Two injured were released after taking primary treatment, the official said.
Mohidul Islam said the fire incident took place in a two-storey building at Mokharekha of Manama where 50 Bangladeshis lived adding that it was primarily perceived that the fire may have originated from a short circuit. “As there is no spot on the bodies, it is thought that the workers may have died of suffocation,” the official added.
Replying to a question, he said: “The workplaces of the dead workers could not be known but most of the Bangladeshis work in the construction sector and in small shops in Bahrain.” “The details of the incident will be known after police enquiry and medical report. Police is currently investigating into the matter.”
Earlier, several incidents of fire took place in Bahrain where a number of Bangladeshis were killed.
“We have taken a number of programmes to create awareness,” Mohidul claimed.
According to the embassy, around 97,000 Bangladeshis officially work in Bahrain.
Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) statistics show a total of 275,691 Bangladeshis have gone to Bahrain since 1976.
