Sweety spoke to father in Bangladesh before execution in Saudi Arabia

Sweety Akter married while she was in Class Eight, but the marriage did not last. After separating from her husband, she returned to her parents’ home with her child. Later, under pressure from her family, she married again. But after her second husband moved to Saudi Arabia, he cut off contact with her. She was at a loss about what to do.

Thinking about her daughter’s future and hoping to ease her parents’ financial hardship, Sweety Akter went to Saudi Arabia three years ago. She worked there as a cleaner. But just six months after arriving in the country, she was arrested.

Sweety had told her family that several women working with her in Saudi Arabia had illegally purchased a car and that she had been arrested along with them in connection with the incident.

Although she was in prison, she remained in contact with her parents. She had told them not to worry even if she could not call for some reason. She last spoke to her father on the evening of 13 October, Tuesday. Two days later, her parents learned that her death sentence had been carried out.

Two Bangladeshi nationals were recently executed in Saudi Arabia after being convicted of committing immoral acts at a mosque in the holy city of Mecca. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) confirmed the executions on 14 October, Wednesday, citing the country’s Ministry of Interior. The two executed Bangladeshis were Nazrul Islam and Sweety Akter.

Mirzapur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Zahurul Alam told Prothom Alo that they had learned about the execution of the two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia.

Sweety Akter was from a village in Mirzapur upazila of Tangail. She was the daughter of Md Fazal Mia and Johura Begum and the youngest of five sisters.

Visiting Sweety’s home at around 9am on Tuesday, this correspondent found several people gathered in the courtyard, talking among themselves. Some were her relatives, while others were neighbours. Her parents were sitting on the veranda.

As soon as Johura Begum was asked about her daughter, she began to cry. Composing herself with difficulty, she said, “How will I survive? Bring my Sweety back to me.”

Johura Begum was unable to speak properly because of her tears. At one point, she said, “My daughter, you suffered so much, yet you didn’t tell anyone. You didn’t even tell me… Bring my daughter’s body home. I want to see her.”

Sweety Akter’s father, Md Fazal Mia, then spoke about his daughter.

“She went to Saudi Arabia through an agency in March 2023 and worked there as a cleaner. For about six months after she went to Saudi Arabia, we spoke to her regularly. Then, one day, she suddenly called and told us she was in prison. Apparently, some of her friends had illegally bought a car, and she was arrested along with the others over the incident.

“While she was in prison, we sometimes spoke after a week and sometimes after a month. This continued for a year, and then contact suddenly stopped.”

Fazal Mia said Sweety contacted them by phone again after a year. She told them she was still in prison and asked them not to worry if she could not call.

“This continued for about four months. After that, we had no further contact. I last spoke to Sweety on Tuesday (13 October), after Maghrib prayers. But she did not tell me anything about a trial or a death sentence.”

Sweety’s relatives believe she may have fallen victim to a conspiracy by someone in Saudi Arabia. None of her family members believes the allegations brought against her.

Sweety’s cousin Salma Akter, who is older than her, was present while her parents spoke about her. Salma said Sweetie had never been fortunate enough to have a stable married life.

After Sweetie’s second marriage, the family borrowed money to send her husband to Saudi Arabia. But he cut off contact after arriving there.

Sweetie later went to Saudi Arabia in search of a better life, leaving her daughter with one of her sisters. The girl, now nine, studies in Class three at a local primary school.

Salma repeatedly broke down in tears while speaking. When she eventually regained some composure, she said Sweety could never have committed any wrongdoing.

She then said, “My uncle works hard, digging the earth to earn his living. Ours is a family struggling with poverty. She went abroad because her parents were poor. There are five daughters, and my uncle has no son. If we had known this would happen to her, would we ever have allowed her to go abroad?”