Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said that Dhaka has sought clarifications on the circumstances of the execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia earlier this month for committing an indecent act in a Makkah mosque.
Reuters quoted Bangladesh foreign ministry spokesperson Shahidul Karim as saying Dhaka has asked for copies of the court verdicts, details about the offences and an explanation of why Bangladesh's diplomatic mission was not informed.
Saudi Arabia's interior ministry said the man and the woman were executed after being convicted for committing an indecent act inside a mosque in the holy city of Makkah.
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A ministry statement named Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar, both Bangladeshi nationals, who were apprehended by security authorities after the incident. Investigations led to charges being filed against them, and the case was referred to the competent court. They were sentenced to death under ta’zir, a form of discretionary punishment under Islamic law, following the court ruling that found them guilty of the offence. The punishment was carried out on October 14.
The statement did not provide more details or identify the mosque where the reported incident took place.
In further comments, Islam said the Bangladeshi government would decide on next steps after receiving the case details and documents and discussing the matter with Saudi authorities.
On Tuesday, October 20, Saudi Arabia said a video that went viral online recently and was attributed to the execution of the two Bangladeshis is 'misleading'. "The video being circulated with this claim is false and is not evidence of their execution," The Holy Mosques X account said.
Saudi authorities reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining security, upholding justice and enforcing Islamic law against those who violate the sanctity of mosques or commit offences against the honour of others.
Saudi Arabia is Bangladesh's largest overseas labour market and home to an estimated 3.5 million Bangladeshi workers who send home major remittances, making migrant welfare a key bilateral issue.