Sending Remittances as Expatriates, Abandoned by the State in Times of Crisis! When Will the Cycle of Slavery Abroad and Coffins Returning Home Finally End? I have opposed Sheikh Hasina throughout my political life. But I have no hesitation in acknowledging that her government once saved the lives of six Bangladeshis. Following the execution of Nazrul Islam and Sweety Akter in Saudi Arabia, a troubling question arises: Where was our government when they needed it most? In 2010, six Bangladeshis were sentenced to death in Dubai in connection with the murder of a Pakistani national. Through diplomatic initiatives by the Sheikh Hasina government, arrangements were made to pay two lakh dirhams in blood money to the victim’s family. The death sentences were commuted, and the six Bangladeshis returned home. I do not support Sheikh Hasina’s politics. But I believe in acknowledging good deeds, regardless of who performs them. The question is, has the current government demonstrated the same sense of responsibility? Nazrul Islam and Sweety Akter were executed on October 14. If the government only began seeking details of their cases on October 17, what exactly were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh doing? Two Bangladeshi lives were lost, and the state learned about the matter only after the executions had taken place? Did they have access to lawyers? Were their appeal options pursued? Were high-level diplomatic efforts made with the Saudi authorities to seek clemency or a reduction in their sentences? The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must answer these questions. If the Saudi government did not notify Bangladesh in advance, why not? And if Bangladesh knew beforehand, what steps did it take? We cannot continue with a foreign policy that demands remittances from expatriates but refuses to take responsibility for protecting their lives. Reports of abuse, rape, and harassment of Bangladeshi women working as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia have also surfaced repeatedly. What has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs done to ensure their safety, access to justice, and accountability for those responsible? We demand answers on that front as well. Is the value of an expatriate worker’s life measured only by the dollars they send home? Where is our embassy when they are in danger abroad? Are Bangladeshis overseas merely workers, or are they citizens entitled to the full protection of their state? Bringing the bodies of deceased citizens home is a responsibility. But trying to save their lives before death is an even greater responsibility of the state. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we do not want condolences. We want answers. We do not want assurances. We want effective diplomacy. Expatriates work like slaves abroad to keep our national economy running, only to return home in coffins, sometimes as headless bodies. How much longer must this brutal reality continue? Praising one good deed by Sheikh Hasina does not mean I support her politics. Demanding accountability from the current government does not mean I am acting against any political party. My questions are directed at the state, and my demands are rooted in the rights of citizens. Expatriates are not asking for charity or compassion. They are asking for the state of Bangladesh to stand beside them when their lives are at risk. When will the cycle of slavery abroad and returning home as corpses finally end? State, it is time to answer! Rowshan Haque October 18, 2026 New York #StateResponsibility #highlightseveryonefollowers