Saudi executions of two Bangladeshis: parliamentary committee seeks report on possible consulate negligence

The parliamentary standing committee on the foreign ministry has asked the ministry whether there was any weakness or negligence on the part of the Bangladesh consulate in Jeddah in the case of two Bangladeshis executed in Saudi Arabia. The committee has also sought a report on what action was taken against those responsible if negligence is found, and on the steps being taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

The matter was discussed at the committee's meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Sunday afternoon. The meeting was chaired by committee chairperson Zaharat Adib Chowdhury. It was the committee's third meeting.

At the meeting, the foreign ministry told the committee that 14 days before the executions were carried out, Saudi Arabia had sent a list of around 2,500 prisoners. Although the names of the two Bangladeshi nationals were on that list, the matter was not properly identified.

The ministry also told the committee that the officials concerned had assumed the listed prisoners could face sentences ranging from six months to a maximum of 15 years depending on their category. They did not realise that the matter involved the death penalty.

Following this explanation, the meeting discussed how questions have arisen over the role of the Bangladesh consulate in Jeddah. The ministry said it has sought answers from Saudi Arabia to several questions on the matter.

The parliamentary committee said the ministry should inform it once replies to those questions arrive from Saudi Arabia. It also asked for a report on whether there was any consular negligence, what action was taken if there was, and what measures are being taken to prevent a recurrence. A press release from the Parliament Secretariat also mentioned this recommendation.

After the meeting, committee chairperson Zaharat Adib Chowdhury told reporters the committee wanted to know why the consulate could not learn of the matter earlier, and whether there was any weakness or negligence. She said Bangladesh has good relations with Saudi Arabia, so why did they not inform earlier. In her words, the incident shows that, all in all, there is a weakness here.

Referring to the information shared 14 days before the executions, Zaharat Adib Chowdhury said, 'They (the foreign ministry) have admitted that actually nobody identified that report in that way.'

Committee members A B M Mosharraf Hossain, S K Azizul Bari, Syed Al Noman, Humam Quader Chowdhury and Sanjida Islam also attended the meeting. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir joined the meeting at the committee's special invitation.

The same meeting also discussed Bangladeshi women workers employed in Saudi Arabia. The foreign ministry told the committee that 1 to 2 percent of Bangladeshi women workers in the country face abuse. The ministry's information referred to around 169,000 women workers in the country. The committee directed that necessary steps be taken to bring the rate down to zero.