The execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia has raised concerns over the protection of expatriates’ rights and whether they received adequate consular assistance during legal proceedings that ended in capital punishment.
Opposition Leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has questioned the roles of the government and the Bangladesh embassy in Saudi Arabia, calling on the authorities to clarify whether they fulfilled their responsibilities towards the two nationals.
In a Facebook post at around 7:30pm on Sunday, Shafiqur said, “The government and the Bangladesh embassy are bound to make their positions clear on this matter.”
He noted that large numbers of Bangladeshis work in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, making the protection of their rights and interests a key responsibility of the government and its diplomatic missions.
Bangladesh maintains embassies and other diplomatic missions abroad to safeguard expatriates’ interests as well as the country’s dignity and national interests, he said.
Shafiqur said statements by government officials had raised questions, particularly reports suggesting that the authorities learned about the executions only after they had been carried out.
While acknowledging that every country conducts judicial proceedings under its own laws, he questioned whether the Bangladesh embassy had properly discharged its duties in the case of the two expatriates who faced the death penalty.
“Raising awareness among expatriates about protecting the country’s dignity and complying with the laws of their host countries is one of the government’s key responsibilities,” he said.
The Jamaat chief stressed that Bangladeshis facing legal proceedings abroad should receive the assistance and support they are entitled to from their country’s diplomatic missions.
Calling for accountability and self-assessment, Shafiqur said the authorities should examine their own conduct instead of focusing public discussion on the two individuals who had been executed.
“It would be better for everyone to review their own positions rather than engage in discussions and analyses about the two individuals who were executed,” he said.