Beheaded in public: It cannot be happened in modern world

| by Swadesh Roy

(October 09, Dhaka, Sri Lanka Guardian) The authority of Saudi has beheaded eight Bangladeshi in public on 7th October. They have executed a judgment according to their law. These eight were Bangladeshi emigrant in Saudi Arabia. They are poor, went to Saudi for work. But, they were alleged in a robbery. Total number of accused persons is eleven but three were sentenced to jail and these eight were sentenced to death. According to their law, they have executed death penalty through beheading in public in Saudi capital Riyadh. Those who were beheaded, were, Mamun Abdul Manan, Faruq Jamal, Sumon Miah, Mohamad Sumon, Shafiq al islam, Masud Shamsul Haque, Abu Al-Hussain Ahmed, Matiur Al-Rahaman. They were convicted of robbing warehouse and killing the security guard, Hussein Saeed Mohammed Adulkhaleq, an Egyption national.

"The news of this beheading is a deep shock for any Bangladeshi national because now a days we cannot think of this type of brutal penalty by judgment. It could have been possible in the barbaric age, it is not suitable in the modern time. It is also the violation of human right. Human right does not allow this." - file photo

The news of this beheading is a deep shock for any Bangladeshi national because now a days we cannot think of this type of brutal penalty by judgment. It could have been possible in the barbaric age, it is not suitable in the modern time. It is also the violation of human right. Human right does not allow this. World human right organizations already condemned it. Amnesty International also condemned the execution in a statement on 7th October. They told , `court proceedings in Saudi Arabia fall far short of international standards for fair trial.’ Middle East and North Africa director, Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said, recent news of execution is deeply disturbing.

The persons who were beheaded, their trial were basically far from international standard. All proceedings were in Arabic. Accused persons could not understand it. The court did not arrange any system to help the accused understand it. Besides, most defendants had no defence lawyer. Eventually, for the language barrier and lack of any help from the lawyer, they could not defend themselves. So, it is not a trial of any international standard, it is actually a mock trial.

Many news agency and the human right groups are disclosing news that, this type of mock trial and execution of death penalty has been increased in Saudi recently. More than one hundred people were beheaded in this year. It is very alarming for the world human right. When the world is observing the Arab uprising; the people of this area are fighting for democracy and Human Right; this news of Saudi does not fit in with the present world, not even with the present Arab world.

Therefore, beheading execution of eight Bangladeshi is not only a violation of Human Right it also expresses to the world people that, they have to think about Saudi Arabia. They have to think not only about the ancient rule of that country; world people have to think about the Human Rights and the fundamental rights of the people in Saudi. Can a modern country think that, without any defence lawyer a man is going get the death sentence? Can human being of modern age think, death penalty is executed in public? Saudi is not a country from out of the world. So it cannot go unchallenged. Cautious people of the world have to think about Saudi, and Human Rights and fundament rights of the people of that country.

Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor, The Daily Janakantha, Dhaka, Bangladesh. swadeshroy@gmail.com