A 22-year-old Bangladeshi man from Brahmanbaria has been executed in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, leaving his family devastated after they allegedly received no prior notification of the sentence being carried out. The death of Nazrul Islam has been followed by another tragedy: his aunt, Abeda Begum, reportedly died of a heart attack after learning of her nephew’s execution.
The incident has plunged Birampur village, in Sult anpur Union of Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila, into mourning. Nazrul’s parents say they were not informed in advance and learned of his death through media reports. They were denied the opportunity to speak to him one last time or see him before his execution.
According to reports, the death sentence was carried out in Makkah on 14 October. The family said they had received no prior information about the execution, leaving them shocked by the sudden news.
Journey to Saudi Arabia in Search of a Better Life
Nazrul was the eldest child in a farming family in Birampur village. Hoping to ease his family’s financial difficulties, he travelled to Saudi Arabia on 10 November 2022. After arriving in the country, he began working as a cleaner at an establishment.
However, his life took a dramatic turn just six months after his arrival. According to information provided by his family, Saudi police arrested him alongside a young woman named Sweety Akter at a mosque in Makkah over allegations of immoral conduct.
Nazrul remained in custody in prisons in Riyadh and Makkah for approximately three years and three months. During that period, he continued to maintain regular contact with his family.
His mother, Rahima Begum, said her son used to call home every Sunday from prison. Those weekly conversations had become a source of reassurance for the family, allowing his parents to hear his voice despite the distance and his imprisonment.
Last week, however, the expected call never came. The family initially had no clear explanation for the silence. They later learned through media reports that Nazrul had been executed.
Reports also stated that Sweety Akter’s death sentence was carried out in the same case.
Parents Devastated by the News
Nazrul’s father, Abdul Bashir, has been left overwhelmed by grief. Despite being unwell, he has repeatedly mourned the loss of his son, questioning why the family had not been informed before the execution.
The family says it was given no advance notice, leaving them without an opportunity to speak to Nazrul for the last time. His parents had continued to hope that they would hear from him again, as they had done every Sunday.
For Rahima Begum, the loss is particularly painful because her son’s regular phone calls had remained a vital connection throughout his imprisonment. Learning of his death through the media, rather than through an official communication, has added to the family’s distress.
The circumstances surrounding the execution have also raised questions for the relatives, who want to understand why they were not informed beforehand. However, the family’s account alone does not establish the full details of the legal proceedings or the notification arrangements in Saudi Arabia.
Aunt Dies After Hearing of Her Nephew’s Execution
The family’s grief deepened further when Abeda Begum, Nazrul’s paternal aunt, reportedly died of a heart attack on Wednesday night after learning of his execution.
Her sudden death has added another layer of tragedy to an already devastated household. Relatives are now mourning both a young man whose life ended far from home and a family member who died shortly after receiving the devastating news.
As the eldest of four siblings, Nazrul had been a source of hope for his family. His decision to work abroad was driven by the expectation that he could help his parents overcome financial hardship and improve their living conditions.
Instead, his family now faces the pain of his death, the loss of his aunt and uncertainty over when his body might be returned to Bangladesh.
The news has also deeply affected residents of Birampur village, where relatives and neighbours have gathered in grief.
Family Seeks Government Assistance to Bring Body Home
Nazrul’s family and local residents have called on the Bangladeshi government to take urgent steps to bring his body back to the country at state expense.
Their immediate wish is for his parents to see their son one last time and bury him in the soil of his home village. Having been unable to bid him farewell while he was alive, they hope they will at least be given the opportunity to lay him to rest.
The case has left the family facing several unanswered questions, particularly concerning the execution, communication with relatives and the arrangements for repatriating his remains.
The allegations surrounding Nazrul’s case, the details of the judicial proceedings and whether the relevant authorities attempted to notify his family have not been independently established in the information available for this report. No official response from the Saudi authorities or the Bangladeshi government was included in the account provided.
For the grieving parents, however, the immediate concern is clear. They want their son’s body returned to Bangladesh as soon as possible so that they can finally say goodbye and give him a burial in his homeland.
