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Wearing Ihram, Bangladeshi mufti killed in Riyadh airport attack before reaching Mecca

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A 35-year-old Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, Nasrullah Al Badr, was killed in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh while wearing Ihram and traveling to perform Umrah with a group of 45 Bangladeshis.
The attack, attributed by Saudi officials to the Houthis, resulted in 13 deaths and 309 injuries, including four Saudi citizens and eight foreign residents initially reported.

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Why It Matters

Nasrullah Al Badr was among 45 Bangladeshis traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah when the attack occurred at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. He was wearing Ihram, the traditional garment for Muslim pilgrims, at the time of the attack.

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Wearing Ihram, Bangladeshi mufti killed in Riyadh airport attack before reaching Mecca

Nasrullah was travelling with 45 Bangladeshis when deadly attack struck the airport

Last updated: October 12, 2026 | 22:43

Huda Ata, Special to Gulf News

Dubai: A 35-year-old Bangladeshi Islamic scholar was killed in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh while travelling to perform Umrah, leaving behind three young children.

Nasrullah Al Badr, a mufti from Bangladesh, was among a group of 45 people who had travelled to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage when the airport came under attack on Saturday.

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Al Badr was reportedly wearing Ihram, the traditional garments worn by Muslim pilgrims, when the attack took place.

He leaves behind three children, the eldest aged seven and the youngest just two.

A video widely circulated on social media purportedly shows the scholar inside the airport moments before the deadly explosion, which sent flames and thick smoke through part of the passenger terminal.

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said on Sunday that 12 people, including four Saudi citizens and eight foreign residents, had been killed and 309 others injured.

The reported death toll later rose to 13 after the Indian Embassy in Riyadh announced that one of its nationals had died from injuries sustained in the attack.

Maj. Gen. Turki Al Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government, accused the Houthis of carrying out the strike, calling it a "full-fledged war crime".

He said the coalition's Joint Forces Command would respond firmly and in accordance with international humanitarian law.

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Huda AtaSpecial to Gulf News

Huda Ata is an independent writer based in the UAE.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

The Saudi-led coalition will conduct military or operational responses against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Likely · Within days

Open Questions

What was the exact nature and method of the attack?
Were there any prior warnings or intelligence about the threat?
What specific evidence does the Saudi-led coalition have linking the Houthis to the attack?

Wearing Ihram, Bangladeshi mufti killed in Riyadh airport attack before reaching Mecca

Quick Look

A 35-year-old Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, Nasrullah Al Badr, was killed in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh while wearing Ihram and traveling to perform Umrah with a group of 45 Bangladeshis.
The attack, attributed by Saudi officials to the Houthis, resulted in 13 deaths and 309 injuries, including four Saudi citizens and eight foreign residents initially reported.