Jamaat Ameer calls for stronger, pre-emptive roles of embassies in protecting expats

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman has put the onus on the government and government officials to explain how the highly debated executions of two Bangladeshis took place in Saudi Arabia without their prior knowledge.

The government and Bangladeshi Embassy in Saudi Arabia must answer for any potential gaps in safeguarding the rights of the two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia, Shafiqur said in a Facebook post on Monday.

He also called on the government and embassy officials to properly alert visiting Bangladeshis and expatriates about the laws and customs of foreign lands to avoid a repetition of legal repercussions in the kingdom and other overseas countries.

Shafiqur’s full statement is as follows:

Recently, two Bangladeshi citizens were executed in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This has sparked considerable discussion and criticism in various Bangladeshi media outlets and on social media.

A significant portion of Bangladesh’s population works in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries. The various challenges they face as expatriate workers have also been the subject of discussion and criticism on numerous occasions.

Bangladesh maintains embassies and consulates in different countries to protect the interests of its expatriate citizens, as well as to safeguard the country’s dignity and national interests.

The question that needs to be answered is whether our embassy or consulate was involved in the judicial proceedings against these two individuals. Statements made by various government officials have understandably raised questions, particularly when they have said that the government learned about the matter only after the executions had been carried out.

Undoubtedly, every country conducts judicial proceedings in accordance with its existing laws. However, since these two individuals were Bangladeshi expatriates and the case involved the death penalty, the government should clearly inform the public whether the embassy fulfilled its responsibilities in this matter.

It is also important to know what initiatives our government or embassy has undertaken to address the circumstances that led to the reported offence and to the executions, particularly if even a small portion of such circumstance remains among the Bangladeshi diaspora that could put them in legal crosshairs. The government and the Bangladesh Embassy are obliged to clarify their positions on this matter.

Measures must be taken to ensure that, in the future, no expatriate Bangladeshi is deprived of the assistance to which they are entitled from the embassy while going through legal proceedings. Raising awareness among expatriates about complying with the laws and regulations of their host countries, while safeguarding the dignity of Bangladesh, is also one of the government’s key responsibilities.

Rather than focusing on discussions and judgments about the two individuals who were executed, it would be better for everyone to reflect on and reassess their own responsibilities and conduct.

May whatever is good flourish.