Bangladesh was not informed in advance about the execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca for allegedly engaging in “indecent” acts in a mosque area.
Bangladesh learned of the executions after reports appeared in the media. The Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah wrote to the Saudi foreign ministry on Thursday seeking detailed information about the incident.
Sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka and the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.
A source at the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah told this correspondent on Friday afternoon that Saudi authorities had not formally informed Bangladesh about the executions beforehand. The matter came to the consulate’s attention only after the news was published in the media. The consulate subsequently sent a letter to the Saudi foreign ministry on Thursday, requesting details of the incident.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA), citing the country’s interior ministry, confirmed the executions on Wednesday. The two people executed have been identified as Nazrul Islam and Sweety Akhtar.
Middle Eastern news outlet Gulf News reported that Saudi security forces had arrested them on allegations of engaging in immoral and indecent acts at a mosque in Mecca.
According to the report, after their arrest and an initial investigation, specific charges were brought against the two and the case was referred to court. Under Sharia law, the court sentenced them to death under ta'zir, a category of discretionary punishment determined by a judge.
The report said the judge imposed the sentence after considering the desecration of the mosque’s sanctity and the circumstances in which the alleged offence took place. The verdict was subsequently upheld by higher judicial authorities, making it final, and a royal order was issued for the executions.
In a statement, Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry reiterated the government’s firm position on protecting the security of the holy mosques, upholding justice and enforcing Sharia law against those who violate religious sanctity. It also warned that anyone committing similar offences at holy sites would face severe punishment.
Private sources in Saudi Arabia said the judicial proceedings had been under way at a court in Jeddah for several months. Two prominent Bangladeshi citizens reportedly assisted as interpreters during the proceedings.
Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia are both parties to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Article 36 of the convention stipulates that when a foreign national is arrested, the detaining country must, at the detainee’s request, notify the person’s consulate without delay and allow access to consular assistance. It remains unclear whether the two detainees had requested that the Bangladeshi consulate be notified.
Several officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Saudi authorities would not ordinarily arrest two Bangladeshi nationals and execute them so quickly. They also described it as puzzling that no one acting on behalf of the two had contacted the Bangladeshi mission.
No information has yet emerged about the two individuals’ immigration status or length of stay in Saudi Arabia, or whether they received legal assistance or had the opportunity to appeal during the proceedings.