This information came to light about the man who received death sentence in Saudi Arabia
Author, Rakib Hasnat
designation, bbc news, bangla
Published 1 minute ago
Reading Time: 7 minutes
Bangladesh's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid has said that the two people who were reported to have been given death sentence in Saudi Arabia, were detained in 2023.
He told journalists today that the government is currently waiting to receive the copy of the decision.
However, the family of one of the two Bangladeshi nationals executed in Saudi Arabia told BBC Bangla that they had also spoken to his family from jail a week ago. At that time, he had given no indication that he could be given the death penalty.
Last Wednesday, there was news in Saudi Arabian media that a Bangladeshi woman and a man were given death sentence.
The governments of Saudi Arabia or Bangladesh have not yet officially revealed their identities.
The men involved in both of these were residents of Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila of Bangladesh.
His mother Rahima Begum told BBC Bangla that her son had also spoken to the family from jail in Saudi Arabia last Sunday.
Crying, she told BBC Bangla, "We knew that he was in jail. But even the son had not told us that this would happen. We got this information from people immediately after the news broke on Wednesday evening. On hearing the news, the son's aunt had a stroke and died."
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He has demanded to bring his son's body to Bangladesh as soon as possible and demand justice in this case.
Brahmanbaria District Administrative Officer Mohammad Abusaid told BBC Bangla that the government has not yet received any official information to confirm whether this person was among the two people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia or not.
The Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh had on Sunday summoned Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Dhaka Abdullah bin Jafar H bin Abiyah and held a meeting to get detailed information about the recent incident of death sentence to two Bangladeshi citizens in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
According to reports, a Saudi Arabian court had convicted both of them for carrying out 'immoral' activities in a mosque in Mecca city.
However, neither the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka nor the Embassy of Bangladesh in Saudi Arabia has made public any information about the identity of the two Bangladeshi citizens.
BBC Bangla received information from a source close to the family of the death row man, after which it contacted the family.
The man's mother confirmed that the person sentenced to death is her son. Appealing to make arrangements to bring his son's body to Bangladesh, he told BBC Bangla, "I have not seen my son's face for three years and three months. I wish I could at least see his face for the last time."
What information has been received about the person sentenced to death?
According to the man's mother, her son had completed his studies from Madrasa. After this, he went to Saudi Arabia through an agent on November 10, 2022.
This young man, the eldest of two brothers and two sisters, worked as a cleaning worker in Riyadh. It is being told that he used to work as a cleaning worker in the mosque where he was accused of 'immoral' activities.
His mother told BBC Bangla, "He was put in jail only six months after going there. My son contacted us a month after going to jail. At that time he said that mother, he thinks that they will keep me in jail and then release me. We had talked to him last Sunday also. And on Wednesday this incident was heard."
Asked whether his son had told the family on what charges he was detained, he said, "No, he did not tell anything specific."
However, another family member said that in his last days the man had told the family that he was in a love affair with the woman.
His mother said that her son had told her that one day after arriving for duty, a police car came and took him away.
According to the family, after going to jail, he used to talk to them on phone for some time almost every week. During this time he had told that he had a love affair with that woman.
He spoke to his family for the last time on Sunday, three days before the death sentence was to be executed.
The man's mother told BBC Bangla, "Initially, my son could not explain anything to anyone because of the language. We went to the agent. The agent said that after reaching Saudi Arabia, he is no longer responsible for any matter related to him."
He also told that after the son went to jail in Saudi Arabia, the family had not contacted any official of the local administration.
However, local people told BBC that the age of this young man who was sentenced to death was about 22 years. Earlier his father used to work as a daily wage laborer on others' land. Now due to increasing age he is unable to work.
Due to the financial constraints of the family, he was sent abroad through an agent. But just six months after reaching Saudi Arabia, in 2023, he was detained.
What did the Bangladesh government say?
In Dhaka today, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid also said that the government has received so much information that the man and woman on death row were detained in 2023.
He said, "We have written a letter to get the remaining information. We will give detailed information after getting the copy of the decision. We should remember that Saudi Arabia is the biggest source of remittances and the main destination for our migrant workers. Despite adverse conditions, more than four lakh Bangladeshi brothers have gone there. It is also our responsibility to ensure the safety of the people who went there."
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said, "Bangladeshi nationals are serving prison sentences at several places in different cities of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia sends lists with identity details from time to time. This lets us know officially who was arrested, when and under what circumstances and who is in jail. We are checking those lists to see if the names of these two are included in them. We also did not get information from the families. All we have learned is that the incident will take place in 2023." And he was detained the same year."
However, Britain-based international law expert Dr. Rehan Rashid says that the statement of the Minister of State for External Affairs itself makes it clear that the Ministry of External Affairs was aware of the arrest of these two for the last three years.
He told BBC Bangla, "It was the responsibility of the embassy to gather information and take necessary steps immediately after the arrest. The Ministry of Manpower did not contact his family for three years. Despite receiving the list, the embassy took no action. Consular rights of a foreign national start as soon as he is arrested. He had the right to get consular assistance. This incident shows how Bangladeshi citizens are treated there. These were poor people. They needed legal aid. Was."
Dr. Rashid said that under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, a foreign national has the right to seek assistance from the embassy of his country if he is arrested or faces legal process.
He said, "It is possible that a laborer may not be aware of his rights. This was the responsibility of Saudi Arabia. At the same time, the Embassy of Bangladesh should also have taken necessary steps after getting information about the matter."
