A parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has discussed the activities and staffing of Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia, raising questions about their capacity to provide adequate services to millions of Bangladeshi expatriates.
The committee also sought clarification on whether there were any lapses on the part of the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah over the execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia and asked the ministry to explain what action was being taken if any negligence was found.
Saudi Arabia executed Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Sweety Akter in Mecca on October 14. According to available information, they were sentenced to death over allegations of immoral activities at a mosque in the holy city.
According to a letter sent by the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment on October 18, Nazrul was arrested on August 1, 2023, on cybercrime allegations, while Sweety was detained the following day on adultery allegations.
Although their names appeared on a list of prisoners provided by Saudi authorities on September 30, the list did not indicate that they had been sentenced to death.
The consulate said Saudi authorities had not informed it in advance about the death sentences or their execution.
Following the incident, Bangladesh has requested detailed information from the Saudi government regarding the judicial verdicts, charges and legal proceedings against the two nationals.
The consulate’s letter also stated that 306 Bangladeshi nationals were being held in prisons across western Saudi Arabia. Of them, 147 had been sentenced to prison terms ranging from one month to 15 years.
Saudi Arabia: Bangladesh’s Largest Overseas Labour Market
According to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, approximately 3.5 million Bangladeshis currently live and work in Saudi Arabia.
In 2025, a total of 752,715 Bangladeshi workers travelled to the kingdom, making it the largest single-country destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers.
Saudi Arabia is not only Bangladesh’s largest overseas labour market but also its biggest source of remittances. The capacity of Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions to provide passport, visa, labour rights, welfare and other consular services is therefore crucial to protecting the interests of millions of expatriates.
A parliamentary secretariat statement issued after the standing committee meeting said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefed members on the current state of Bangladesh-Saudi relations, the principal activities of the missions, institutional cooperation, bilateral trade, employment and remittances, and the major challenges and opportunities in the Saudi labour market.
The briefing also covered labour welfare services provided by the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh and the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah, as well as arrangements related to the Hajj pilgrimage.
The committee further recommended that the ministry take necessary measures to protect female migrant workers employed in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries.
The meeting was chaired by Member of Parliament Zahrat Adib Chowdhury. Committee members A B M Mosharraf Hossain, S K Azizul Bari, Saeed Al Noman, Humam Qader Chowdhury and Sanjida Islam attended the meeting.
Foreign Affairs State Minister Humayun Kabir also participated at the special invitation of the committee.
Dhaka, 26th October
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