Aunt Dies on Hearing of Nazrul's Execution in Saudi Arabia, Grieving Family Wants His Body Back
Mourning is under way at a home in Birampur village of Brahmanbaria after news arrived that expatriate Bangladeshi youth Nazrul Islam was executed in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The family alleges that Nazrul's death sentence was carried out last Wednesday without informing them.
Even though he spent three years and three months in prison, family members still have no clear idea why Nazrul was arrested. The family's grief deepened further with another death after the news of their son's death arrived.
On hearing the news of Nazrul's execution, his paternal aunt Abeda Begum suffered a heart attack and died. Family members said she was overwhelmed with grief on hearing the news; she died of a heart attack last Wednesday night.
Nazrul Islam (25) was the eldest son of Abdul Bachhir of Birampur village in Brahmanbaria. The family is devastated at losing Nazrul, the eldest of four children. On one side is the grief of losing a son, and on the other a burden of debt; together they have left his parents helpless.
Family members said Nazrul travelled to Saudi Arabia on 10 November 2022 to restore the family's financial solvency. About six months after arriving there, Saudi police arrested him along with a young woman named Sweety Akter at a mosque in the city of Makkah on allegations of immoral activities. Nazrul remained in prison from then on.
Nazrul's family claims that while in prison he spoke with family members every Sunday. However, the family was never informed of the details of the case against him or of the trial process.
The family learned of Nazrul's execution only from media reports last Wednesday. They allege that Nazrul did not even get a chance to defend himself before the execution.
Nazrul's mother Rahima Begum breaks down in tears again and again on hearing of her son's death. The home is now filled only with crying and lamentation.
Nazrul's father Abdul Bachhir said: 'I still do not know why my son was in jail. Suddenly I saw the news of his death on Facebook. I had borrowed seven lakh taka to send my son abroad. He was in jail from six months after he went. In that time he had sent one and a half lakh taka. Now the lenders are also putting pressure on us.'
In a tearful voice, he added: 'I want my son's body back on the soil of this country. If my son received the death penalty without cause, then I want justice for that.'
Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner Md Abusaeed said on the matter: 'No instruction has been given from the administration on this matter. No application has been made from the family either. If the body comes to the country, assistance will be provided according to the rules since he was a resident of Brahmanbaria.'
The family now faces two big questions: whether Nazrul's body will return home, and how they will manage the burden of the seven lakh taka loan. According to the administration, assistance will be available under the rules if the body arrives; but the family will also need to apply to begin the formal process.
