Impose moratorium on death penalty

Caram Asia, a regional migrants' rights body, in a statement yesterday demanded the Saudi authorities to impose a moratorium on all death penalties and review the cases of all prisoners currently awaiting capital punishment.
The Malaysia-based non-government organisation having extensive networks across Asia also requested the Kingdom to improve the rights of all migrant workers to seek legal support, access-to-complaint mechanism and care services.
It should also address the issue of trafficking and fraudulence by unscrupulous agencies to reduce vulnerability and propensity of the migrant workers to commit any crime.
The statement was sent to the Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud and Minister of the Interior Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud over the execution of eight Bangladeshi migrant workers in Riyadh on October 7.
The Daily Star received a copy of the statement.
Most migrant workers residing in foreign countries often do not have proper education while many are victims of corrupt recruitment systems. Hence, it is a heavier duty for Saudi Arabia to provide full and independent legal representation and interpreter services, it said.
Meanwhile, Students-Teachers-Professionals Janata led by columnist Syed Abul Maksud yesterday staged a sit-in programme in the city's Gulshan 2 intersection, protesting the beheadings.
While such execution in public is barbaric, the Bangladesh government was not sincere enough to protect the lives, said Maksud at the sit-in held from 11:00am to 1:00pm.
He demanded the government to take every measure to protect the lives of five more Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia awaiting execution.
The protesters refrained from an earlier decision to go to the Saudi embassy following police restriction, said Supriti Dhar, a journalist and participant of the sit-in.