Legal notice seeks protection for BD migrants in KSA

A legal notice has been served on relevant government officials and agencies, demanding mandatory diplomatic protection for Bangladeshi migrant workers in Saudi Arabia and the introduction of a real-time tracking system to ensure timely consular assistance in criminal cases.

The notice follows reports of the trial and execution of Bangladeshi migrant worker Nazrul Islam, also known as Abdul Bahir and another woman Siti Akhtar allegedly without prior notification to or adequate consular assistance from the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

Supreme Court lawyer Md Abul Kalam Azad issued the notice on behalf of Mohiuddin Jewel, president of the Bangladesh Immigration Lawyers Association, according to a press release issued on Monday.

The recipients include the Foreign Secretary, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary, the Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and the Director General of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).

According to the notice, information received between October 14 and 16 indicated that two Bangladeshi nationals, including Nazrul Islam, had been tried and executed in Saudi Arabia. It alleged that the Bangladesh Embassy had remained unaware of their detention, trial and execution.

The notice described the alleged communication failure as a serious lapse in consular protection that could deprive migrant workers of legal assistance and due process.

It proposed an Integrated Protection and Consular Tracking System (IPCPTS), linking relevant Saudi judicial and digital platforms through bilateral application programming interface (API) integration to monitor workers' legal status.

The proposed measures also include strengthening emergency alerts, SOS facilities and digital check-in services through the 'Ami Probashi' app or a dedicated diplomatic application.

The notice further called for a central court-monitoring portal through the Bangladesh missions' labour wings in Riyadh and Jeddah, alongside a tracking dashboard to help families obtain updates on relatives facing legal proceedings.

It also demanded a formal investigation into the alleged communication gap surrounding Nazrul Islam's case and publication of the findings.

The authorities have been given 15 days from receipt of the notice to take effective measures. Failure to act, it warned, could lead to further legal action, including a writ petition challenging the authorities' alleged inaction.

No response from the concerned authorities was included in the notice information provided.