There was information gap: Kobir

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir has said there was an information gap regarding the execution of two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia. 

“There is a gap in information; somewhere in the process there is a flaw. We are holding talks between the two sides to investigate this,” he said on Monday while speaking to journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Regarding the execution of the two Bangladeshis, the state minister said both Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia are signatories to the Geneva Convention. In incidents like this, there should be information exchange and communication between the two countries. But an explanation has been sought from Saudi Arabia to investigate why there was a deficit of information in this case.

Humaiun Kobir said Bangladesh has good and deep relations with Saudi Arabia. He said the country’s relations with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the current government are historic. He expressed hope that these relations will reach a new height.

Describing the incident as regrettable, Humaiun Kobir said, “If this has happened, then naturally it is extremely disappointing and regrettable and in no way acceptable.”

In response to a question about whether any initiative would be taken for blood money or compensation after the execution, he said that since the execution has already been carried out, there is no longer that opportunity. He said it will now be investigated where the information gap occurred.

When asked about the identities of the two Bangladeshis and whether they were husband and wife, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs said newspaper reports mentioned them as Bangladeshis. However, efforts are underway to obtain more information on the matter.

He said that if a citizen of one country is detained in another country on charges of a crime, there is an expectation that the relevant country will be informed. This makes it possible for the detained person’s country to provide consular services and monitor the matter. He said Bangladesh had the same expectation in the case of Saudi Arabia.

Humaiun Kobir said that if a crime has been committed, the judicial process can proceed according to the law of the relevant country. However, he said it is necessary to clarify where the gaps in information exchange, communication, and process occurred in this incident. Discussions with Saudi Arabia are ongoing for this purpose.

Earlier on Sunday, Secretary (Bilateral) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Md. Nazrul Islam met Saudi Ambassador to Dhaka Dr. Abdullah bin Jafar H. bin Abiyah. At the meeting, detailed information was sought regarding the execution of the two Bangladeshis. A copy of the previous diplomatic letter sent to the Saudi government was also handed over to the ambassador.