Death sentence in Saudi Arabia: Sweety's family in Tangail grieves amid uncertainty
Parents of Siti Akhtar alias Sweety grieve in pain as their daughter was executed in Saudi Arabia on charges of immoral acts. Agamir Somoy.
They have heard that their daughter has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. This has left the parents of Sweety Akter of Tangail devastated. But they still cannot be sure. Because various reports are spreading confusion. They are unable to learn confirmed information.
Sweety Akter's father, Fazl Mia, told Agamir Somoy that they had spoken with their daughter, who is imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, on October 13. Even then, their daughter did not say anything much.
On October 15, citing Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior, the country's media reported that two Bangladeshis had been executed a day earlier. The news reports named the two as Nazerul Islam Abdul Bashir and Siti Akhtar.
However, after verifying information from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training's (BMET) exit permits and national identity cards, the names were found to be Sweety Akter and Nazrul Islam.
Sweety Akter's home is in the Mohera Union of Mirzapur Upazila in Tangail. Nazrul's home is in Birampur village of Sultanpur Union in Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila. Both had gone to the Middle Eastern country to work as cleaners. After being arrested there, they were in prison.
Sweety's father Fazl said, "I spoke with Sweety last Tuesday (October 13). But she did not say anything about the trial or the death sentence. She asked us how we are doing. Beyond that, we had some small talk. From what she said, we could not understand that something like this was going to happen. We did not even know that she had been sentenced to death."
After the execution of Sweety and Nazrul, various pieces of information have been circulating on social media. Some were saying that the couple had gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. There they were arrested on charges of immoral activities in a mosque.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury also said that one was an expatriate worker and the other had gone to perform Umrah. But later the ministry said that both were expatriate workers.
Again, the photo of Sweety Akter that is circulating on social media after the execution is not hers, which has left Sweety's family in Tangail even more confused.
Like the families of Nazrul and Sweety, the Bangladesh government has also not yet officially learned anything about the matter. Amid widespread discussion and criticism, the Bangladesh government has already summoned the Saudi ambassador.
The Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah has written to the Saudi authorities. It asked who the two executed people were, what crime they had committed, and why information about the punishment was not provided earlier.
In this situation, Sweeti's mother, Johra Begum, remains uncertain. She is holding on to the hope that her daughter is still alive.
She told Agamir Somoy, "Today I learned that my daughter has been sentenced to death. We cannot understand anything. We are bewildered. I earnestly appeal to the government to save my daughter."
And if Sweeti's death sentence is indeed carried out, her father Fazl wants the government to make arrangements to bring back her body.
According to government documents, Sweeti was born on August 11, 2001. On February 5, 2023, she received an exit permit to go to Saudi Arabia through a recruiting agency named "S Rana Trading International." Her employing company in Saudi Arabia was "Al Mazal Al Arabi Group Company."
After divorcing her husband in the country, Sweety went to Saudi Arabia as a worker three years ago. Her mother said, "After my daughter's husband married again, we brought her home. Later, my daughter did not want to stay in the marriage. My daughter said, 'Mother, I do not want to marry again. A woman marries only once; my desire to marry has been fulfilled.' After that, when she expressed her desire to go abroad, she was sent to Saudi Arabia."
Johra said there was regular contact with her daughter at first. But suddenly the contact stopped. Later, she learned that her daughter was in prison abroad.
Johra said that about a month ago, a friend of Sweeti called and informed her that her daughter had been in prison in Saudi Arabia for a year.
Sweeti's villagers are also worried at the news of her death sentence. Bivash Sarkar Nupu, chairman of Mohera Union, told Agamir Samoy, "The matter is very sad and sensitive. The relevant authorities need to cooperate so that Sweeti's family gets correct information and necessary legal assistance."
The UP chairman also cannot confirm the matter of Sweeti. Therefore, he said, "We want the matter to be considered with importance and necessary initiatives to be taken by the government to bring Sweeti back to the country or to review her sentence."
Regarding Sweeti and Nazrul, based on information from the Saudi Ministry of Interior, it is being said that they were punished after being found guilty of immoral activities in a mosque in Makkah. After the approval of the relevant authorities and a royal order, their death sentences were carried out in the Makkah region on October 14.
However, the Saudi authorities did not provide details on exactly what kind of activities they were accused of and punished for.
According to Sweeti's family, she was arrested six months after going to Saudi Arabia in February 2023.
On the other hand, Nazrul of Brahmanbaria went to Saudi Arabia on November 10, 2022. Within six months, his family received news of his arrest.
