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Dhaka: State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Sunday said Bangladesh expected foreign governments to notify it when Bangladeshi nationals faced criminal proceedings abroad so that consular assistance could be provided.
Speaking to journalists at the foreign ministry, he said Bangladesh had sought an explanation from Saudi Arabia over an apparent communication gap concerning the reported executions of two Bangladeshi nationals.
Kobir said Bangladesh would inform Saudi authorities if a Saudi national were arrested in the country on a criminal charge, allowing them to provide consular assistance.
“At the very least, they should know that one of their citizens has become involved in criminal activities on Bangladeshi soil,” he said.
Bangladesh expected similar communication from Saudi Arabia and other countries so that it could extend assistance to its nationals facing legal proceedings abroad, he added.
Referring to newspaper reports about the executions, the state minister said there appeared to have been a lapse in the information-sharing process.
“We are seeking an explanation,” he said, adding that the two sides were discussing the matter to determine where the communication gap had occurred.
Kobir acknowledged that Saudi Arabia had its own laws and that anyone travelling there was subject to those laws. He said Bangladesh’s concerns centred on information-sharing, communication and the procedures followed in such cases.
Describing the reported offences as deeply disappointing, he said involvement in criminal activities at a sacred site visited by people for religious purposes was unacceptable.
He also underscored Bangladesh’s close and longstanding relations with Saudi Arabia, expressing confidence that bilateral ties would reach new heights under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the present government.
Briefing journalists on his recent overseas visit, Kobir said he had attended the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, before travelling to Baghdad to attend the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
He described the visit as productive, saying international stakeholders had shown considerable interest in Bangladesh during meetings held on the sidelines.
At the OIC meeting, he made an appeal for member states to come forward and help resolve the Rohingya crisis.
Kobir also co-chaired an ad hoc ministerial meeting on Rohingya accountability with the foreign minister of The Gambia.