Around 7,500 Bangladeshis are being held in prisons across Saudi Arabia, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said. She also said Bangladesh had written to the Saudi government seeking copies of the court verdicts to obtain details about the execution of two Bangladeshi nationals. The government has yet to receive detailed information about the two men.
The body of Bangladeshi worker Md Shahed Ahmed, who was killed in an attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Friday morning. The state minister went to the airport to receive the body and made these remarks in response to questions from journalists.
Shahed Ahmed’s body arrived in Dhaka shortly after 8:00am. His body, along with government assistance, were subsequently handed over to his wife, Kohinur Akter Kakoli.
The state minister said Bangladesh had sought details from the Saudi ambassador about the execution of the two Bangladeshis. The government had formally requested copies of the court verdicts from Saudi Arabia. Once the documents are received, Bangladesh will be able to learn more about what happened, she added.
Responding to a journalist’s question, Shama Obaed Islam said the Saudi government periodically sends lists of people who have been convicted of various offences or are in prison. The government is checking whether the names of the two persons appear on those lists.
Noting that every country has its own legal framework and judicial system, the state minister said Bangladesh did not intend to interfere in another country’s judicial process. However, she said, it was important for Bangladesh to obtain detailed information whenever a Bangladeshi citizen is convicted abroad or executed.
Shama Obaed Islam also said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not resolve such matters on its own. The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, the Ministry of Home Affairs and other relevant ministries work together on these issues, particularly where legal matters are involved.
When information emerges that a Bangladeshi citizen has been convicted abroad, the government contacts the authorities concerned through diplomatic channels. Discussions are also held on whether there is any scope for a sentence to be commuted, she added.
Shahed was the 11th
Bangladeshi worker Md Shahed Ahmed was killed in an attack by the Houthi armed group at King Khalid International Airport on 10 October. His home was in Shahjahanpur upazila of Bogura.
The state minister said more than four million Bangladeshis work in Saudi Arabia, leaving them at risk of being killed or injured if war or other accidents occur there.
Over the past six months, the bodies of 11 Bangladeshis killed in conflicts in the Middle East have been brought back to the country. Shahed was the 11th, she said.
Three Bangladeshis have been killed in missile attacks in Saudi Arabia over the past month, according to the state minister. One of their bodies arrived in Bangladesh on Friday, while efforts were under way to bring the others home as soon as possible.
Shama Obaed Islam said the government did not want any more Bangladeshi citizens to lose their lives in such circumstances. She prayed for an end to the war in the Middle East and for people of all nationalities to be spared such brutal attacks.
She also said discussions were under way with Saudi Arabia on extending or renewing the visas of migrant workers stranded in Bangladesh because of the conflict in the Middle East.
Action to be taken if complaints against missions are substantiated
Asked about complaints that Bangladeshis living abroad do not receive adequate assistance from the country’s embassies and diplomatic missions, Shama Obaed Islam said every Bangladeshi mission abroad has a labour welfare wing. Expatriate workers generally submit their complaints to these wings, where officials responsible for expatriates’ welfare or labour affairs work.
The state minister said it was the responsibility of diplomatic missions and the government to assist expatriates. If any negligence by a mission is found, it will be investigated and the necessary action will be taken.
Shahed Ahmed was killed in the attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 10 October. His home was in Madla village of Shahjahanpur upazila, Bogura. His father is Md Rafiqul Islam and his mother is Shahera Begum.
Shahed worked as a plumber on a project in Jeddah for a Saudi contracting company. He had a valid Saudi residence and work permit, known as an iqama. After taking leave to attend his brother’s funeral, he was returning to his workplace in Jeddah via Riyadh. He was at Riyadh airport when the attack took place.
Two Bangladeshis, including Shahed, were killed in the attack. The other victim was Md Nasrullah Badarpuri, from Badarpur village in Nangalkot upazila of Cumilla. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said at the time that another 24 Bangladeshis were injured in the incident.