Two Bangladeshis were among 12 people killed in a missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, while four other Bangladeshis are fighting for recovery in intensive care as the deadliest strike on the kingdom in more than a decade threatens to draw the United States deeper into the escalating Middle East conflict.
The attack on Saturday left at least 309 people injured, forced the closure of one of the region’s busiest aviation hubs and triggered widespread international condemnation.
The two Bangladeshis killed were identified as Md Shahed Ahmed of Madla village in Bogura’s Shahjahanpur upazila and Md Nasrullah Badarpuri of Badarpur village in Cumilla’s Nangalkot upazila, according to Bangladesh’s foreign ministry.
Four other Bangladeshis were receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of King Khalid Hospital in Riyadh, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam confirmed on Sunday.
The attack, the third on Riyadh’s international airport within a week, prompted Saudi Arabia to threaten a decisive military response, while Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement renewed warnings that Saudi airports and airspace remained vulnerable to further strikes.
US President Donald Trump said Washington was considering joining Saudi military operations against the Houthis, raising fears that the renewed fighting in Yemen could further widen the regional war.
The disruption has also reached Bangladesh, with at least five flights from Dhaka cancelled and Biman Bangladesh Airlines suspending its Riyadh services.
Bangladeshis killed, four in ICU
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said a missile struck Terminal 3 of King Khalid International Airport at approximately 3:20pm local time on Saturday, when passengers from several countries, including Bangladesh, were waiting inside.
Shahed Ahmed was from Madla village in Shahjahanpur, Bogura, while Nasrullah Badarpuri was from Badarpur village in Nangalkot, Cumilla.
The government is working with Saudi authorities to assist the victims and contact their families.
Speaking to journalists in Dhaka on Sunday, State Minister Shama Obaed said Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions in Riyadh and Jeddah were coordinating with Saudi officials to identify the injured and ensure necessary treatment.
She said 14 Bangladeshis had died in the wider Middle East conflict so far, highlighting the growing risks faced by expatriate workers.
“We have already lost 14 Bangladeshis in this war. We do not want any more of our remittance warriors to die,” she said.
The government will bear the costs of repatriating the bodies of the deceased Bangladeshis, she added.
At least 82 uninjured Bangladeshi passengers were being accommodated at hotels and other facilities, including the Marriott and Radisson hotels and Princess Nourah University.
Bangladesh strongly condemned the attack, describing assaults on civilians and civilian infrastructure as unacceptable.
The foreign ministry called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a diplomatic resolution to the escalating crisis.
Missile strikes terminal, hundreds injured
The missile struck an airport complex housing Terminals 3 and 4, according to an official cited by the Associated Press.
The dead included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis and one citizen each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Sudan.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as an explosion struck the terminal, sending passengers running for safety.
One passenger told AFP that a nearby departure gate had been hit and that injured people were lying on the ground.
Another injured traveller told Reuters that part of the ceiling near a departure gate collapsed after an object crossed the sky outside.
Ambulances and helicopters transported casualties to hospitals across Riyadh, where emergency departments faced a sudden influx of patients.
Saudi health authorities activated emergency medical arrangements to treat the wounded, some of whom remained in critical condition.
Saturday’s strike followed two earlier attacks on the same airport during the week, which had already caused fatalities and seriously damaged a Saudi commercial aircraft parked on the tarmac.
The repeated strikes have raised questions about the vulnerability of civilian aviation infrastructure to missiles and drones despite Saudi Arabia’s extensive air-defence capabilities.
Riyadh airport shut, Dhaka flights cancelled
King Khalid International Airport remained closed on Sunday as authorities assessed damage and security risks.
The closure forced airlines to cancel or divert hundreds of flights, stranding passengers and disrupting international connections.
Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that three additional flights from Dhaka had been cancelled on Sunday, following two cancellations on Saturday.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines suspended its Dhaka-Riyadh-Dhaka services until further notice.
The disruption also affected flights operated by other carriers serving the Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia route.
Saudi authorities extended the airport closure into early Monday, although the exact timing of the resumption of operations remained uncertain.
International airlines, including Emirates, Etihad Airways and Lufthansa Group carriers, announced cancellations or extended suspensions of Riyadh services.
The crisis has particular implications for Bangladesh, given the large number of migrant workers and religious travellers using Saudi aviation routes.
Saudi authorities also moved schools in Riyadh to remote learning for the week as security concerns persisted.
Foreign embassies, including those of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, advised their citizens to avoid the airport.
Saudi Arabia vows retaliation
The Saudi-led military coalition blamed the Houthis for Saturday’s strike and promised a firm response.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki described the attack as a war crime, saying civilian passengers and airport workers had been targeted.
The Houthis had not explicitly claimed responsibility for Saturday’s deadly strike in the initial reports, although they acknowledged earlier attacks on Saudi airports and continued threatening aviation facilities.
On Sunday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree renewed warnings to airlines, airport employees and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace, with the exception of facilities serving Mecca and Medina.
The Houthi-run foreign ministry warned that further Saudi military action in Yemen would provoke stronger retaliation.
The Saudi-led coalition also reported a projectile falling near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and said it intercepted a drone in the eastern region on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Houthi-controlled media reported another suspected Saudi strike on Sanaa airport in Yemen.
The report could not immediately be independently verified, and Saudi authorities had not commented on the allegation.
Trump considers joining war
The attack has increased pressure on Washington to provide greater military support to Saudi Arabia.
Asked whether the United States might join Saudi strikes against the Houthis, Trump said on Saturday that the option remained under consideration.
“We may. We’re going to look at it,” he told reporters, adding that a decision could be made quickly.
Trump also indicated that he planned to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the airport attacks and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the killing of civilians, warning that attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law.
The European Union, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and several other countries issued statements condemning the strike.
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned that attacks on civilian airports represented a serious escalation that threatened regional security and complicated efforts to restore peace.
Why the conflict is escalating
The latest violence follows the collapse of a ceasefire that had largely contained fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis since 2022.
Saudi Arabia entered Yemen’s civil war in 2015, leading a military coalition supporting the internationally recognised Yemeni government against the Houthis, who control the capital, Sanaa.
The conflict caused widespread destruction and a humanitarian catastrophe before the ceasefire brought relative calm.
Fighting resumed this summer as the Houthis launched attacks on Saudi targets and captured strategic territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched a counteroffensive last week to regain territory, supported by Saudi airstrikes.
The Houthis have retaliated with attacks on Saudi airports, energy infrastructure and other facilities.
The confrontation is unfolding alongside the broader war involving Iran, the United States and Israel, which began in February.
With Iran-aligned Houthi forces threatening shipping through Bab el-Mandeb and tensions already affecting the Strait of Hormuz, further escalation could disrupt global energy supplies and international trade.
Saudi Arabia is also facing mounting pressure over its air defences as repeated strikes expose civilian facilities to attack.
Despite the security crisis, Riyadh proceeded with preparations for the WPC Energy Congress, bringing together ministers and energy executives from around the world.
The immediate concern, however, remains the safety of civilians and travellers as both sides threaten further military action.
For Bangladesh, the deaths of two nationals, the critical condition of four others and the disruption of flights have brought the consequences of the widening Middle East conflict directly home.
