Over 2,500 Bangladeshis languish in Saudi jails

Saudi Arabia, home to a large Bangladeshi expatriate community that sends substantial remittances to the country, has around 2,500 Bangladeshis in its prisons, 147 of whom have been sentenced to jail terms ranging from one month to 15 years, according to a list provided by the Saudi Interior Ministry to the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah on September 30.

The execution of two Bangladeshi nationals has now raised fresh questions about the information available to Dhaka and the protection its overseas missions provide to citizens facing criminal charges.


The case has also drawn attention to the circumstances of thousands of Bangladeshis held in Saudi prisons, including the nature of their charges, the sentences imposed and whether they have access to legal assistance and consular support.

Nazrul was detained on August 1, 2023, and Sweety the following day. The September 30 list identified Nazrul, held at the Jeddah correctional facility, in connection with a cybercrime or information technology-related offence. Sweety, held at the Jeddah women's prison, was listed in connection with an adultery charge. However, the list did not specify their sentences.

On October 15, the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah sent a diplomatic note to the Saudi Foreign Ministry seeking details about the two cases. Bangladesh has since sought an explanation for the omission of their death sentences from the information supplied by Saudi authorities.

On October 19, Bangladesh's Consul General in Jeddah, Md Sakawat Hossain, raised the issue at a meeting with Farid bin Saad Al Sehri, director general of the Saudi Foreign Ministry in Jeddah.

A message sent by the consulate to Dhaka on October 18 said there had been no previous precedent of a Bangladeshi national being sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for cybercrime or adultery. It also referred to three other cybercrime cases in Makkah in which Bangladeshi nationals had received prison sentences ranging from six months to five years.

QUESTIONS OVER CONSULAR SUPPORT
The executions have prompted concerns about whether the two Bangladeshis received adequate legal representation and consular assistance before their sentences were carried out.

“The execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia after years of detention raises serious questions about consular protection, access to legal representation and the rights of migrant workers,” said Parvez Karim Abbasi, executive director of the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS).

He questioned whether the two individuals had received consular assistance, adequate legal representation, a fair opportunity to defend themselves in court and clear information about the charges against them.

Abbasi said the Vienna Convention provided a framework for consular relations and argued that Saudi authorities should have notified Bangladesh before carrying out the executions.

He said Bangladesh had handed a diplomatic note, known as a Note Verbale, to the Saudi ambassador over the incident. He called for diplomatic missions to take a more proactive role in protecting migrant workers, particularly in countries with large Bangladeshi expatriate communities.

Abbasi also stressed the need for adequate financial, human and institutional resources for overseas missions, alongside clear accountability mechanisms to assess their performance.

A WIDER RESPONSIBILITY
Asif Munier, national programme officer at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said the cases raised questions about the responsibilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment.

An estimated 30-35 lakh Bangladeshis work in Saudi Arabia, he said, making the welfare of this community a major responsibility for the government.

Munier argued that the problem was not simply a shortage of manpower but the lack of clear mechanisms and terms of reference for protecting expatriates. He called for regular evaluation of diplomatic missions and greater accountability for their performance.

He said the government should strengthen the role of overseas missions in protecting citizens rather than allowing protocol-related duties to dominate their work.

CALLS FOR BETTER PREPARATION
Experts have also called for mandatory pre-departure training for prospective migrant workers through government agencies.

Many workers leave Bangladesh with limited formal skills and little knowledge of the legal systems in their destination countries. Training should cover local laws and regulations, cultural norms, basic language skills, and workers' rights and responsibilities, Abbasi said.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Bangladesh has sought details of the two executions from Saudi authorities, but the information available so far does not establish a comprehensive government plan for the roughly 2,500 detainees.

Key questions remain about the charges against those held, the sentences imposed, their access to legal representation and the extent of consular assistance they receive.

For Bangladesh, the challenge extends beyond seeking answers over two executions. It is also to establish how its missions can obtain timely information about detained citizens, identify cases requiring urgent intervention and ensure that Bangladeshis facing criminal proceedings abroad are not left without adequate support.