Two Bangladeshis Executed in Saudi Arabia: Writ Filed in High Court Alleging Failure to Provide Timely Consular Help

A public-interest writ petition has been filed in the High Court alleging that the authorities concerned failed to provide timely consular assistance to Bangladeshi citizens abroad, following the execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia. The petitioner has sought a rule asking why the alleged failure of the authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to perform their duties should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.

Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Tasmiah Nuhia Ahmed filed the writ in the public interest on Wednesday (28 October).

The respondents named in the petition are the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, the Director General of the Wage Earners' Welfare Board, Bangladesh's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh's Consul General in Jeddah, and the head of the relevant labour welfare wing.

The writ raises the rights and protection of Bangladeshi citizens living abroad in light of Articles 27, 31 and 32 of the Constitution. It also seeks a rule asking why the authorities concerned should not be directed to perform their legal duties.

According to the petition, news published on 14 October about the execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia brought to the fore the need to review the role of the authorities concerned. The petitioner has asked for verification of what documents the authorities held in these cases and what support measures were taken for the individuals before the executions were carried out.

The writ seeks an order directing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment to send necessary instructions within 72 hours to all Bangladeshi missions abroad around the world.

The proposed instructions include urgently reviewing the cases of Bangladeshi citizens at risk of the death penalty, identifying the deadlines for appeals and clemency petitions, and designating officials responsible for such cases. The petition also gives importance to lawful consular communication and the taking of necessary protective measures.

The writ further seeks a direction requiring an affidavit to be filed within 14 days detailing the documents held by the authorities concerned in the Saudi Arabia execution case and the support measures they took.

The petition also states that it is not always easy for the families of Bangladeshi citizens detained abroad to secure legal assistance. A family's financial inability, language barriers and the complexity of obtaining legal help within a foreign judicial system can make an already critical situation harder. For this reason, the petition notes, an active and timely role by the government authorities concerned is important in cases of citizens at risk of the death penalty.

While acknowledging the diplomatic steps taken by the government after the executions, the petitioner has asked whether the individuals concerned received assistance in time. The writ raises the need to verify, through government records, the identities of the individuals mentioned in news reports, the information about the related cases and what consular assistance was provided to them, and seeks a review on the basis of those government records.