The men were publicly beheaded on Friday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
They'd been found guilty of robbery and the murder of an Egyptian security guard.
Human rights groups say the Government of Bangladesh didn't inform the victim's families or anyone else about the executions, which only became public because of local newspaper reports.
But the Bangladesh Government says it worked behind the scenes for years to plead clemency for the men.
Reporter: Alma Mistry
Speakers:Sultana Kamal, Executive Director, Ain O Salish Kendra, Dhaka; Dr.Zafar Khan, Secretary, Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment, Dhaka
MISTRY: The eight men were sentenced to death over a murder and robbery at a Riyadh warehouse in 2007. Three other Bangladeshis also received jail terms and flogging for their involvement. On Friday the men were beheaded in front of a large crown in Riyadh's Justice Square. Human rights groups say they're shocked by the killings.
KAMAL: The way the Bangladeshi workers were executed in Saudi Arabia in public they were beheaded we think this is not becoming in a civilised society and not at all permissible in a society where human rights have the minimum respect.
MISTRY: Sultana Kamal is the Executive Director of Ain O Salish Kendra or the Law and Mediation Centre in Dhaka. She says the men's families were kept in the dark throughout the trials and that virtually nothing was known about the men's cases until Saudi press reported the executions last week.
KAMAL: They are poor people they go there for economic reasons and we are not sure whether they were given enough opportunity to defend themselves and why weren't the families informed?
MISTRY: But the Bangladeshi Government says that for the last four years it's worked through its Embassy in Riyadh to advocate on the men's behalf. Dr Zhafar Khan is the Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment. He says after a lawyer was appointed on the men's behalf and every legal avenue was taken including a personal request from the President to the King of Saudi Arabia.
KHAN: Even after the death sentences we took consular access by the embassy there we also appeal. In the Appeal Court the verdict of the previous court prevailed.
MISTRY: Under Saudi law, which is based on Sharia principles, a murder victims family is the only authority that can grant clemency to those accused of the crime. Dr Khan says the Bangladesh Government contacted the victims family in Egypt and asked for mercy for the men. It also offered them financial compensation.
KHAN: Yes Bangladesh from our part we did our best. We also offered them blood money to the victims family. But victims family they are from Egyptian rural area they strictly believe, they did not want to take the blood money.
MISTRY: But Sultana Kamal from the Law and Mediation Centre in Dhakka says the public in Bangladesh knew nothing of the mens plight.
KAMAL: In 4 years we as human rights organisations or as ordinary public we did not know anything about it that some of our countrymen were being hanged or likely to be hanged in Saudi Arabia so we didn't know what kind of activities the Government saying they have done alot about.
MISTRY: She says if non government organisations had known about the men they could have tried to put international pressure the Saudi Government.
KAMAL: Probably we could have raised a campaign in our own country and also internationally which sometimes works.
MISTRY: But Dr Zhafar Khan says the Bangladesh Government shied away from putting pressure on Riyadh because it feared for the welfare of the 2 million migrant workers from Bangladesh who currently live in the kingdom.
KHAN: Since it was a very sensitive one we did not appeal to any NGO's or any human rights organisations because we had a very embarrasing situation because if we go against the Saudi Government there might be some other problems for out more than 2 million workers who are working there.
MISTRY: Dr Khan says while he's satisfied that everything was done to help the men in this case, there's a clear need for more assistance for migrant workers in the Kingdom. He says recently two more labour attaches have been appointed to help expatriate workers living there.
KHAN: We try to provide all necessary welfare and labour and legal service to our worker. Recently we have increased two more labour attache posted in Saudi Arabia. Since there are more than 2 million workers I think we should do even more and we are going to do that also.
