Nationwide discussion and criticism have erupted following the spread of news and images on social media regarding the alleged beheading of two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia.
The family of Sweety Akter, hailing from Nagar Chawali Charpara village in Mirzapur Upazila of Tangail, has claimed that the woman seen in the circulated image is Sweety. The report has triggered severe anxiety and concern among her family members.
Although they were previously hopeful upon hearing news that she was alive, her relatives are now passing days in extreme distress, having received no verified or confirmed information regarding Sweety Akter’s current status.
A visit to Sweety’s home in Nagar Chawali Charpara village revealed a tragic scene, with her mother, Johura Begum, breaking down in tears while clutching a photograph of her daughter to her chest.
Her father looked on silently, awaiting his daughter’s return. The news of the execution circulating on social media has generated deep fear in their minds, as the family desperately seeks answers as to whether Sweety Akter is alive or if she has met a horrific fate.
Even after reports of the execution of the death sentence were published, Sweety Akter’s father, Fazol, and mother, Johura Begum, said they have not received any official confirmation concerning their daughter’s death.
They appealed to the relevant government authorities for assistance, requesting that if she has indeed passed away, the government should promptly arrange to bring her body back to Bangladesh.
According to family and local sources, Sweety Akter is the youngest daughter of Fazol Mia of Nagar Chawali Charpara village in Mohera Union under Mirzapur Upazila.
Following a marital separation, Sweety migrated to Saudi Arabia in 2023 through a local broker named Notu Mia, who was paid Tk1.5 lakh after promising her employment as a cleaner.
Family members shared that Sweety worked as a cleaner at Al Majal Al Arabi Group Company in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
She was arrested approximately six months after her arrival in the country, though her family only learned about her detention nearly a year later when Sweety contacted them by mobile phone.
Sweety informed her family that she was arrested in connection with a brawling case. On the other hand, an expatriate friend of Sweety living abroad informed the family that she had been arrested over a relationship with a Bangladeshi youth.
Sweety Akter’s father, Fazlu Mia, said Sweety last communicated with them on the morning of 13 October, when she mentioned she would return home within two and a half months.
Shortly after, the social media reports and photos of the beheading surfaced, further heightening their distress. The family is now awaiting reliable news regarding her fate.
Mohera Union Parishad Chairman Bibhash Sarkar Nupur said he has not yet received any confirmed information regarding Sweety Akter’s death.
Sweety’s brother-in-law, Abdul Barek – an Ansar member performing duty during Puja – was summoned and shown the photograph published in the media, which he identified as his sister-in-law.
However, he could also not confirm whether the death sentence had been executed.
Mirzapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdullah Al Mamun said it has not yet been confirmed whether Sweety was involved in the beheading incident.
Police have been dispatched to Sweety’s home, and the process of verifying information regarding her involvement in the actual event is ongoing.
Mirzapur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Zahirul Alam said no official information has been received so far, though news has reached them through various channels. Inquiries are being made to ascertain the facts.
