The family of a Bangladeshi man executed in Saudi Arabia has urged the government to bring his body home, alleging that neither his relatives nor the Bangladesh Consulate were informed before the execution.
Nazarul Islam, from Birampur village in Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila, was reportedly executed on 14 October after spending more than three years in detention in Saudi Arabia.
According to his family, Nazarul travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2022 and began working as a cleaner at the Haram Sharif in Mecca.
He went missing seven months after arriving in the country, leaving his family unable to trace his whereabouts.
Nazarul later contacted his relatives by telephone from prison and informed them that he had been detained, but did not disclose the reason for his imprisonment.
His family last spoke to him on 10 October. They subsequently learnt through media reports that he had been executed on 14 October, without any prior notification to them or the Bangladesh Consulate.
Nazarul’s parents expressed anger over the execution, questioning whether he had received legal assistance before the sentence was carried out. They also raised concerns about the role of the Bangladesh Consulate.
The news of his death brought further tragedy to the family when his paternal aunt, Abeda Begum, 65, suffered a fatal heart attack on the same day, according to relatives.
Local residents also expressed outrage over the execution, questioning how it could have been carried out without informing the Bangladesh government or giving Nazarul an opportunity to defend himself.
They demanded that the government take immediate steps to repatriate his body and hand it over to his family.
Brahmanbaria District Commissioner Md Said said the district administration had not received any government instructions regarding the repatriation.
He assured the family of necessary assistance if Nazarul’s body was brought back to Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obayed said on Monday that the Saudi authorities had not provided detailed information about those executed.
She said the Bangladesh government was in communication with Saudi Arabia over the matter.
