DOMINANT ANGLE
Dhaka is first counting its two dead: the Bangladeshi press is reading the attack on Riyadh airport through the national victims, official condemnation, and cancelled Biman flights.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Twelve people were killed, including two Bangladeshis, and 309 injured in the October 10 attack on King Khalid Airport, according to the Saudi civil aviation authority.
- 02
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the attack and deems targeting civilian infrastructure "unacceptable", while calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
- 03
Five flights departing from Dhaka were cancelled, including Biman's BG 339, after the closure of Riyadh Airport, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.
ANALYSIS
Dacca, 11 October 2026. For The Daily Star and The Business Standard (TBS), the attack on Riyadh's King Khalid international airport is first and foremost a Bangladeshi affair. The Sunday, 11 October headlines announce it straightforwardly: "Two Bangladeshis among 12 killed in Riyadh airport attack". The toll given by the Saudi civil aviation authority is reproduced in full: twelve dead, including four Saudis and two Bangladeshis, as well as one American, Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian, Palestinian, and Sudanese national, and 309 injured, some of whom are in critical condition.
The account of the attack comes from the agencies. The Daily Star cites AFP and a witness at the domestic terminal: "I saw 401 hit, I saw injured in front of my eyes. Everyone was running." TBS reprints Reuters: the Saudi early warning system issued no warning, and the airport had already been hit twice in the week, with four dead, which "exposes the vulnerabilities" of the kingdom. Both newspapers note that the Saudi authorities do not mention the Houthis, while a diplomatic source speaks of a Houthi missile.
On the official level, the Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has "firmly and unequivocally" condemned the attack. It writes that attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure "are unacceptable and must cease immediately", expresses its solidarity with the "brotherly people" of Saudi Arabia, and calls for an end to hostilities and a peaceful solution through dialogue. The Dacca mission in Riyadh is in contact with the Saudi authorities to identify the Bangladeshi dead and injured and provide them with assistance.
The air travel aspect occupies its own space. TBS reports that five flights departing from Dacca have been cancelled, including Biman Bangladesh Airlines' BG 339 and Saudia's SV 804 to 807, as well as RX 763 and RX 764, according to the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority. Biman had suspended its night flights and asked passengers not to go to the airport. The US-Bangla BS 381 flight, expected at 3:10 pm, landed elsewhere and did not arrive in Dacca until 3:10 am.
The Bangladeshi press also reports on external reactions: Donald Trump ("We may. We're going to look at it"), Marco Rubio confirming the death of an American, the Pakistani Prime Minister, and coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki, who speaks of a "war crime" and promises a response. The Houthi viewpoint is absent from these articles, as is any regional reading of the conflict beyond the Saudi dimension.
