In foreign jails, with little help from missions

Over 15,000 Bangladeshis languish in overseas prisons; nearly half in Saudi Arabia

For two months, Sumona Akter has been seeking government help to bring her husband, Amjad Hossain, home from a prison in Thailand. But she says she has yet to receive any update on whether steps have been taken to secure his return.

It was not from Bangladesh’s diplomatic mission but from 24 Bangladeshis who had returned from the same prison over the last three and a half months that she learnt of her husband’s ordeal, including allegations that he had been trafficked and tortured.

Amjad, 41, left home in December 2025, hoping to ease his family’s financial hardship by finding work abroad. Instead, he ended up in a Thai prison after allegedly being trafficked across several countries, including Laos and Cambodia.

He had given Sumona’s phone number to the 24 former prisoners  before they returned home so that they could inform her about his condition.

Sumona, who lives in Rajbari with their eight-year-old daughter, said she applied to the foreign ministry two months ago, seeking assistance to bring Amjad home.

“I want my husband back alive. What would I do with his dead body? Apart from his daughter and me, he has nobody else in this world. We want to see him again,” she said.

His family’s ordeal reflects the difficulties faced by many Bangladeshis trying to obtain information, legal assistance and repatriation support for relatives imprisoned overseas.

According to country-wise figures obtained by The Daily Star from the foreign ministry, 15,213 Bangladeshis are being held in prisons abroad, with the highest number in Saudi Arabia, followed by Malaysia and India.

The foreign ministry’s September 30 database shows that at least 5,480 detainees are in Jeddah alone. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam yesterday said around 7,500 Bangladeshis are being held in prisons across Saudi Arabia.

Besides, Malaysia has 2,217, and India has 1,444.

The ministry data also show 740 Bangladeshis detained in Dubai, 400 in Oman, 314 in Libya, 307 in Greece, 296 in Kuwait, 250 in Vietnam and 127 in Thailand.

While some are accused of serious criminal offences, others have been detained for immigration violations, including overstaying visas or lacking valid documents, according to the Bangladesh missions.

Families of some detainees allege that they struggle to obtain necessary assistance from Bangladesh missions.

Three brothers from Sylhet, who spent nine months in a Saudi prison, also alleged that they received little assistance from the Bangladesh mission despite repeated attempts to contact officials.

Abdur Rahman, from Kalaruka in Sylhet Sadar, travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2019. His elder brother, Riaz Ullah, joined him about a year later, while their younger brother, Mohammad Ali, arrived in 2023.

The three were living together in Riyadh when they were arrested over allegations of participating in a protest march. They spent nine months in prison before returning to Bangladesh in December 2024.

“We worked day and night, keeping our families in mind. Then we were arrested on allegations of taking part in a protest march, although we knew nothing about it,” Abdur Rahman said.

He alleged that the mission repeatedly turned them away with various explanations and contacted them to help facilitate their release only after several human chains and processions were organised in Bangladesh demanding their freedom.

Even after their release, the brothers had to arrange 6,000 Saudi riyals for return tickets, borrowing money from their families.

SAUDI EXECUTIONS

Questions over consular assistance have also emerged following the execution of two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia on October 14.

A confidential memorandum from the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah revealed that the names of Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Sweety Akhtar were included in a prisoner list received on September 30, but it made no mention of their death sentences.

The consulate said Saudi authorities had not informed the mission about the sentences or executions. It also said neither family had sought legal assistance. Bangladesh subsequently sent a note verbale seeking clarification and requested copies of the court judgements.

However, it remains unclear whether the mission followed up on their legal status during the two weeks between receiving the list and their executions.

Human Rights Forum Bangladesh has called for an independent review of the mission’s role, raising similar concerns about the lack of follow-up.

MISSIONS, GOVT STEPS

Bangladesh missions in several countries, however, say they regularly visit prisons, provide legal assistance and coordinate with local authorities to help detained nationals.

Siddiqur Rahman, minister (labour) at the Bangladesh mission in Malaysia, said they visit detention centres almost every week to meet Bangladeshis and learn about their problems.

He said approval had been granted to appoint lawyers to assist detained Bangladeshis, adding that they would be able to represent them in court once an agreement was signed.

Siddiqur said, around 70 percent of cases involving detained Bangladeshis in Malaysia relate to overstaying visas. The remaining cases involve drug-related offences and other allegations, including kidnapping, theft and murder.

Rafiqul Islam, second secretary (labour) at the Bangladesh mission in Saudi Arabia, said the mission provided legal assistance and worked to bring detained Bangladeshis home.

Many cases involved alleged embezzlement of money, often filed by sponsors or employers, he said, adding that most of these allegations were eventually found to be false.

In India, Bangladesh High Commission officials visit prisons with approval from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and arrange travel permits for detainees without passports, said Saidur Rahman, minister (press) at the mission in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, Zahir Imam, first secretary (labour) at the Bangladesh mission in Thailand, said Bangladeshi nationals could not be repatriated before completing their sentences under Thai law.

“If the family requests it, we can try to appoint a lawyer on their behalf if the detainees appeal,” he said.

However, Amjad’s family remains uncertain about his legal status and the possibility of his return.

Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, Shama Obaed said Bangladesh respected other countries’ judicial systems but pursued pardons, sentence reductions and detainees’ release through diplomatic channels, with the foreign, expatriates’ welfare and home ministries coordinating efforts.

She cited the release of more than 200 Bangladeshis arrested in the UAE during the July uprising as an example of such coordination.

Acknowledging complaints of inadequate assistance from Bangladesh missions, she said their labour wings had a responsibility to support expatriates and urged those denied help to contact her or the ministry directly. “I will personally look into the matter,” she said, adding that her office received complaints by email daily.

Blaming middlemen and brokers for high migration costs, she expressed concern over families whose relatives returned dead or seriously harmed after spending heavily to send them abroad.

She also stressed the need to familiarise migrant workers with destination countries’ laws before departure. The government was treating such cases seriously, she said, although legal procedures and repatriation could take time.

DATABASE

The foreign ministry is planning a portal to track Bangladeshis imprisoned abroad and facilitate their repatriation, ministry sources said.

The database will include detainees’ names, national identity card, passport and visa details, offences and sentence lengths, with alerts six months before their sentences expire to help arrange their return.

Shariful Hasan, associate director of BRAC’s Migration Programme and Youth Platform, said Bangladeshis detained abroad included both those accused of criminal offences and those facing immigration or documentation-related problems.

“Their cases should be assessed separately, with appropriate legal assistance and repatriation support, particularly for those facing criminal charges.”

He said BRAC contacted the foreign and expatriates’ welfare ministries and relevant missions when families reported detained relatives, helped facilitate their return and provided post-return counselling and support.

He also stressed the need for pre-departure training on destination countries’ laws and customs to prevent immigration-related complications, alongside ensuring legal assistance and protection for detainees.