State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir has said the execution of two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia following allegations of criminal offences is a matter of disappointment for Bangladesh.
He said there had been lapses in information-sharing and diplomatic communication over the recent executions of the two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia. The government has sought a detailed explanation and information from the Saudi authorities regarding the incident, he added.
Humaiun Kobir made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday afternoon.
“Bangladesh has a good and deep relationship with Saudi Arabia, particularly at the level of our prime minister. Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia are both signatories to the Geneva Conventions. There was a gap in information-sharing in this incident. We have sought an explanation from Saudi Arabia to find out why this gap occurred. There was clearly a shortcoming somewhere in the information-sharing or the process. Both sides are holding discussions to look into the matter,” he said.
The state minister said, “This is certainly unfortunate. The execution was carried out following allegations or accusations of criminal offences, and that is disappointing for us. The sanctity of the House of Allah is sacred, and people travel to Mecca with pure intentions. If what we have heard and learned about this incident is true, it is naturally extremely unfortunate and in no way acceptable.”
Asked whether there was any possibility of compensation for the two Bangladeshis who had been executed, the state minister said, “No. The sentence has already been carried out. Once that happens, there is no longer any scope for that. We will now look into where the shortcomings occurred.”
Asked whether the identities of the two executed Bangladeshis had been confirmed, Humaiun Kobir said, “Both countries have signed the Geneva Conventions. If we apprehend a Saudi criminal here, we would certainly inform the Saudi authorities. That person would be entitled to consular services. In other words, they would at least be informed that their national had been involved in a criminal offence in Bangladesh.
“Likewise, we expect Saudi Arabia, or any other country, to inform us if one of our citizens is detained there. That is our expectation.”
Last Wednesday, several media outlets in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East reported that two Bangladeshis had been executed over allegations of committing an “immoral act” in the mosque area of the holy city of Mecca. Following the reports, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the Saudi embassy in Dhaka.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdullah bin Zafer H Bin Abiyah to seek clarification regarding the executions of the two Bangladeshi nationals.