Beheading of two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia: foreign ministry seeks details, parliamentary committee recommends checking consular negligence

The parliamentary standing committee on the foreign ministry has recommended examining whether there was any negligence by the consular officials concerned in the recent beheading of two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia, and taking necessary action. The recommendation was made at the committee’s third meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Sunday. Committee chairperson Zaharat Adib Chowdhury presided over the meeting.

When the matter was raised at the meeting, the foreign ministry said detailed information about the incident has been sought from the Saudi authorities. In other words, the full account of the incident has not yet reached the ministry and awaits the Saudi authorities’ reply.

The committee recommended that, as soon as the information is received, the full account of the incident must be informed to the parliamentary committee. It must also be told what steps have been taken to prevent such incidents in the future. If any consular official is found negligent in performing their duties, the committee must also be informed of the action taken against them.

The meeting also discussed in detail the activities, manpower and quality of services for expatriates of Bangladesh’s missions in Saudi Arabia. The ministry gave a presentation to the committee on the labour welfare services of the Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh and the Bangladesh consulate general in Jeddah, Hajj activities, bilateral trade, employment and remittance, and the challenges and possibilities of the Saudi labour market.

It was also recommended that the ministry present a detailed modernization plan to improve the quality of services of Bangladesh’s missions in Saudi Arabia. The committee also recommended that the foreign ministry take necessary steps to protect women workers employed in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries.

State minister for foreign affairs Humayun Kabir, and committee members ABM Mosharraf Hossain, SK Azizul Bari, Saeed Al Noman, Humam Quader Chowdhury and Sanjida Islam attended the meeting. The foreign secretary and senior officials of the ministry and the Jatiya Sangsad secretariat were also present.