Makkal Osai reported that the families of the arrested men approached Pertubuhan Minda dan Sosial Prihatin Malaysia (Minda) president Ramesh Rao to assist in getting the Malaysian government to press for their release.

The seven men were arrested in 2014 by the Bangladeshi Navy for allegedly smuggling gold to Dhaka.

Their families said there had been no progress with regards to the welfare of the seven men, nor their case on the alleged smuggling offence.

Ramesh also accompanied the families in submitting a memorandum to the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia, urging the relevant authorities to review the cases in order to secure their release from Dhaka.

According to foreign reports, Bangladesh is popular with gold smugglers from Southeast Asia as it is a transit point for gold smuggling into neighbouring India.