Saudi diplomat Khalaf Al-Ali, 45, was shot dead near his house in the Bangladeshi capital on March 6. He was the second secretary at the Saudi mission in Dhaka and had served the mission for two years following his stint in Baku, Azerbaijan. His funeral took place in Riyadh on Friday.
Hossain said the murder shook the whole Bangladesh. “We are shocked that such a tragedy has happened to a diplomat from a brotherly country like Saudi Arabia,” she said, adding that the government of Bangladesh and its people share the grief of this irreparable loss with the Saudi government and its people. “The Bangladesh government will harness its power and resources to trace the roots of the killing and bring the criminals to book,” she stressed.
“I arrived in Riyadh on Saturday, the day following the funeral of the deceased diplomat,” she said, recalling the incident that saddened her heart.
She also conveyed her deepest sympathies to the bereaved family, which, she said, had lost not only its family member but also a great son of this holy soil.
Hossain, currently the chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Autism in Bangladesh, arrived in the capital on an invitation from Princess Samira bint Abdullah Al-Faisal, head of the board of directors of the Saudi Society for Families of Autistic Children.
During her stay in Riyadh, she held talks with Princess Samira about the steps and challenges to be taken to address the problems of autistic children and their families in their respective countries. They also shared their experiences in the concerned field and expressed their desire to extend more services for mentally challenged children and their families. Princess Samira also hosted a dinner in honor of Hossain.
Hossain visited the Center for Autism named after Prince Faisal bin Fahd’s mother and had discussions with the experts of the organization. During her visit, she also delivered a lecture on autism at a gathering of Bangladeshi medical professionals in the Riyadh Palace Hotel, where she advised the audience how to take care of autistic children.
On the eve of her departure to Dhaka on Tuesday, Bangladesh Ambassador Mohamed Shahidul Islam hosted a dinner in honor of the visiting social worker at his residence. Diplomats, embassy officials and Bangladesh community members were present at the dinner banquet.